same-sex wedding expo grows in second year

CANDIDATE TREVOR THOMAS AIMS FOR UPSET
SHARON NEEDLES TALKS LIFE AFTER DRAG RACE
INDIGO GIRL AMY RAY TALKS ‘LUNG OF LOVE’
SAME-SEX WEDDING
EXPO GROWS IN
SECOND YEAR
PRIDESOURCE.COM
EXPO
TAKE TWO
MAY 3, 2012 | VOL. 2018 | FREE
2
BTL \ May 3, 2012
www.PrideSource.com
May 3, 2012 / BTL
www.PrideSource.com
Cover story
4 | Same-sex wedding expo gives gays great
ideas
Cover Photo: Andrew Potter
News
6 | Wake-up call for Trevor Thomas
West Michigan native delivers choice
to 3rd U.S. Congressional district
7 | Let Dominic speak: Mt. Pleasant school uninvites former student to speak at graduation
5.03.2012
Life
17 | Hail Sharon
‘Drag Race’ winner on life after show
and upcoming Detroit appearance
20 | A shining Ray of light
Indigo Girl talks new album, band’s
beginnings and trailblazing
24 | Cool Cities: Ferndale
Affirmations kicks off pride season with
5th annual All-Media Pride Exhibition
7 | LGBT teen suicide to be focus of
Farmington ‘conversation’
25 | The OutField
7 | Annual Women’s Golf OUTing coming
27 | ‘Little Voice,’ big dreams at the Ant
11 | Michigan health dept. probes possible
release of confidential HIV information
28 | Happenings
11 | Senate OKs renewing Violence Against
Women Act
14 | Health care debate: high stakes for those
with HIV
Texas A&M tackles diversity
Featured: Maria Bamford at the Ann
Arbor Comedy Showcase
Rear View
30 | Puzzle
Medicaid expansion, pre-existing
condition benefits at stake in
anticipated Supreme Court ruling
31 | Horoscopes
Opinions
33 | Deep Inside Hollywood
32 | Classifieds
8 | Thinking Out Loud
Our Civil Rights paradox
9 | Speak Out
Presidential progress
9 | Creep of the Week
State Rep. Jeremy Faison
10 | S/he Said
North Carolina, diversity, Ellen
10 | Heard on Facebook
Brandon McCarthy
11 | Parting Glances
Pages past tense #8
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3
4
BTL \ May 3, 2012 \ Michigan News
www.PrideSource.com
Same-sex
wedding expo
gives gays
great ideas
View the Online Gallery
www.pridesource.com
BY CRYSTAL PROXMIRE
Above Rush Lockhart and Jason Tolbert
enjoy the chocolates provided by AG
Chocolates. Below Kate Opalewski, BTL
reporter, trys on a diamond ring from Miner’s
Den as she models one of the dozens of
B. Ella Bridal gowns that were on display
Sunday.
Below, Christopher Kelly, Vice President
of Comerica Charitable Services Group,
gave a presentation about how setting up
a charitable trust can be advantageous for
people as a way to invest in their future and
the future of charities that are important to
them. BTL photos: Andrew Potter
“I’m a supporter of
the gay community so
when I heard about this
(wedding expo), I wanted
to open my arms and
show they are welcome.”
- Kathy Mabbutt of
Rawlinson Photography
LIVONIA - The Courtyard by Marriot in Livonia was
overflowing with love on April 29 as over 300 people came out for
Between The Lines’ second annual Same-Sex Wedding Expo. The
event, which was sponsored by Comerica and the Detroit Marriot,
gave attendees a chance to meet gay-friendly vendors for every
aspect of wedding planning.
There were jewelers, travel agents, bakeries, chocolatiers,
bridal shops, tuxedo rental establishments, caterers, photographers,
invitation designers and more. There was even a seminar on
financial planning and another on the marriage movement by
ACLU attorney Jay Kaplan.
Among those who enjoyed meeting the vendors, sampling
the wedding cakes and other food, and gathering swag from the
tables were Jenay Kightlinger and Lisa Bishop. The Garden City
couple has been together “on and off,” for 23 years. Kightlinger
picked out the perfect ring, and got permission from Bishop’s sister
before proposing to her at the Canton Pizza Hut, a place they often
hung out when they were teens.
The couple is planning on having their ceremony in August,
and the Expo helped them ease their minds. “I’m leery of finding
a location. I’ve heard way too many people get three to four weeks
out from their wedding only to have the facility back out. It’s my
biggest worry. I hope as long as you are honest with people it
shouldn’t be a problem, but it’s better knowing up front that some
place accepts same-sex ceremonies.”
Kightliner and Bishop said they were really excited to talk to
Ivan Harrison at Affairs To Remember, a company that specializes
in wedding linens. “She knew a lot about LGBT-friendly venues
and other resources, and she was really friendly,” Bishop said.
The women are planning on having butterflies and Calla Lilies
throughout their wedding décor, and they hope to release butterflies
as part of the ceremony.
Chris Kitley of AG Chocolates provided the chocolate
fountain for the event. The fountains come in multiple sizes and
a trained staff person accompanies the fountain to events to help
guide guests. Based out of Jackson, Kitley said they do weddings,
commitment ceremonies and other events mainly in the Jackson
and Ann Arbor areas. In addition to the chocolate fountains, Kitley
offers fine chocolates in many styles, including delectable bars
that couples can print on their names and/or an image. “It’s a real
great way to have something customizable to share with guests,
something important to them,” Kitley said. “Everyone should be
able to have their wedding feel like it’s theirs.”
Couples checked out honeymoon options as well. Laura
Wake of Nightline Travel Agents said her agency helps couples
get through the mass of information on the internet to get the best
rates possible, from someone who knows the business. She also
knows the special needs of LGBT couples. “Most cruise lines
are LGBT friendly now,” she said. “But with destinations some
are friendlier than others.” She said that places like Jamaica,
See Expo, page 5
Michigan News / May 3, 2012 / BTL
www.PrideSource.com
Jenay Kightlinger and Lisa Bishop take a quick break at the Second Annual Same-Sex Wedding Expo. BTL
photo: Crystal A. Proxmire
® Expo
Continued from p. 4
Dominican Republic, Haiti and the Cayman
Islands have had problems with gay travelers in
the past, and that an experienced travel agent can
suggest places that are more affirming.
Finding the right people can make all the
difference. The professional jewelers at M.
Mazzoni Jewelry of Farmington talked with
dozens of potential brides and grooms about
how to decide on the perfect stone and setting.
“Working with same-sex couples gives us a
chance to suggest settings that work for both
partners. Some couples want the same ring, while
others like individual rings that might have a
similar theme or sensibility,” said owner Michael
Mazzoni. David Schroeter, owner of Schroeter’s
Flowers in Farmington, presented an array of
beautiful flowers and had photos of weddings
with amazing variety. In the Marriott’s covered
entryway, guests got to see the fabulous hot
pink Hummer limo on display from Satisfaction
Limousines, and two photo booth vendors let
guests document themselves being silly and
foolish.
After 41 years in the photography business,
Kathy Mabbutt of Rawlinson Photography
is excited to be actively welcoming LGBT
couples. “I’ve never been against doing same-sex
weddings, it’s just the opportunity hasn’t come
up. I’m a supporter of the gay community so
when I heard about this (wedding expo), I wanted
to open my arms and show they are welcome.”
While the expo offered much romantic fun,
organizers at Between The Lines also wanted to
include an educational and activist component.
Jay Kaplan, a staff attorney with the ACLU’s
LGBT project, spoke about marriage equality
and why in Michigan citizens still don’t have it.
“Michigan has one of the broadest
restrictions against marriage,” Kaplan said. He
listed the barriers to marriage equality, including
the 1996 law that said only opposite sex couples
can get married and the 2004 amendment to
the State Constitution barring marriage and
any similar union. In the audience, same-sex
couples held hands and cuddled closer as Kaplan
described legal hit after legal hit endured by
LGBT human beings by a significantly betterfunded lobbying machine.
“If it even passes the legislature, it would
have to go on the ballot and it would take
an incredible amount of money to launch a
campaign…and those who oppose marriage
equality have three times more funding,” he
said. One way to make a difference, he said, is
in voter education. “Find out who is running and
look at how they have voted on issues that are
important to you. You can’t just rely on who has
the biggest billboard.”
Another important issue to LGBT couples
is financial planning. And without access to
the right of marriage, same-sex couples in
particular have to take care when setting up the
management of their estate. Christopher Kelly,
Vice President of Comerica Charitable Services
Group, gave a presentation about how setting up
a charitable trust can be advantageous for people
as a way to invest in their future and the future
of charities that are important to them.
“No matter where you are on the economic
pyramid, your estate is important. What you
earned is just as important as Donald Trump.
This is your life’s work,” Kelly said. He gave
examples where trusts are set up to receive assets,
such as cash, real estate and bonds. This can
provide tax breaks and it keeps one’s investment
in the charities of interest to that individual.
“If you are looking to make the next
generation stronger, this can set an example,”
Kelly said. He also said that planning for a
charitable trust can be a motivator for some
people, a reason to be successful.
As the second annual Same-Sex Expo came
to the end, a round of drawings made the day
for several lucky guests, including Meredith
Peltonen of Clawson who won dinner for four
at The Whitney Restaurant in Midtown Detroit.
“I’m so excited,” Peltonen said. “I’m not getting
married, but my sister is…. Maybe I will let her
come to dinner.”
5
6
BTL \ May 3, 2012 \ Michiganl News
www.PrideSource.com
Wake-up call for Trevor Thomas
West Michigan native delivers choice to 3rd U.S. Congressional district
BY JIM LARKIN
Center of excitement
Thomas is far from your stereotypical gay
man. He is a NASCAR fan, goes to the Michigan
International Speedway, and loves country
music, Martina McBride and Reba McEntire. But
he has been a fierce defender of some major gay
rights issues, having been a national spokesman
for the Human Rights Campaign, going on the
national True Colors tour to drum up support for
a federal hate crime bill, and helped develop the
communications plan for the successful repeal
conducting interviews, talking to student groups
or other organizations, attending house parties or
other fundraisers at night.
A natural story teller, as a broadcast
journalism major at Grand Valley State University
and former reporter and producer for local station
WOOD-TV, other people’s stories resonate well
with him, said John “Moose” Williamson, 27,
one of his campaign workers, and he takes them
to heart.
So tears well in Thomas’ eyes when
he talks about an unemployed man
giving “more than he can afford” to his
campaign. And he talks about “bawling
in a closet” when he heard stories of
struggling servicemen while working
for the Servicemembers Legal Defense
Network.
“I will always keep the letters that
I received from some service members,”
he said.
It’s one of the reasons he refers
to his campaign as “a campaign for
all.” Thomas said his supporters
include Democrats and Republicans
(including former Kent County
Republican Chairman Bob Eleveld),
gay and straight, from all walks of life.
Williamson, in fact, said Thomas is the
first gay friend he has had.
“He’s an idealist,” said Williamson,
who is getting involved in politics for
the first time. “He wants to dream big
but you get the sense he can do it.”
GRAND RAPIDS – Read the political blogs
At the center of that excitement, without
and you can sense the intrigue in the Democratic
question, is Thomas. His announcement that
race for the 3rd District Congressional seat.
he would seek Amash’s seat proved to be a
Can a young gay man (Trevor Thomas)
lightening rod of sorts - igniting the debate
win a U.S. Rep. position in conservative West
over whether a gay man could win a seat held
Michigan?
by Republicans since 1976, prompting some to
Can a candidate (Steven Pestka) opposed to
respond by encouraging Pestka to run.
granting women the choice to have an abortion,
Yet, you won’t hear Thomas talking that
at a time when Rush Limbaugh’s “slut”
comments rallied women against attacks
on them, win a Democratic nomination
against a strongly pro-choice opponent?
And that’s just part of the manyfaceted Democratic race for the seat
now held by Republican Justin Amash,
a Libertarian-leaning Tea Party darling
whose stances have unsettled many in
his own party.
There’s the age difference: Thomas
is 28 and Pestka 60.
There’s the support difference:
Pestka has attracted the bulk of the
established party support while Thomas
(who has managed to nab endorsements
from former Gov. Jennifer Granholm
and former Lt. Gov. John D. Cherry) has
been bringing in youthful, energetic and
new Democratic supporters.
There’s the background difference:
Pestka is wealthy and lives in a $475,000
home with his wife; they have a 20-yearold son. Thomas’s parents both worked
in a G.M. Diesel Plant; he lives in
an apartment with a woman who is a
lifelong friend.
But the question of whether or
There’s the campaigning difference: Trevor Thomas points to his fundraising and social media activity as an indication that West Michigan is poised for an upset that will
not Thomas can win remains open for
Pestka relies more on established make him the Democratic candidate for the 3rd Congressional District.
debate.
methods while Thomas is following the
“It’s doubtful,” said Bill Ballenger,
President Obama model - lighting up
much about his being gay, although he won’t of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”
of Inside Michigan Politics. “He’s going to have
the social media, bringing in newcomers to the run from the subject either. His talk, as he works
And he talks unabashedly about his own
a problem winning the primary because Steve
political process, energizing youth.
tirelessly along the campaign trail, is more coming out process, about how his parents
Pestka is a known commodity over there.”
If that’s not enough to draw the attention of likely to focus on mounting student loan debt weren’t accepting at first and threatened to
Indeed, Pestka is a former assistant
not only those in the 3rd Congressional District and solving that crisis so youth don’t mortgage withhold his college funding. While neither he
prosecuting attorney, Kent County commissioner,
but also the nation and, in particular, LGBT their future. He is a strong defender of veterans, nor his parents like to talk about it now, he says
state representative and circuit court judge who
groups, Thomas doesn’t know what will.
having served as communications director for it’s all about “owning the truth.” The present
has received endorsements from U.S. Sen. Carl
“People need to wake up,” said the energetic the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, truth is Thomas is very close to his parents and
Levin, former congressman Mark Schauer, and
28-year-old. “There is something very exciting and the need to better care for those who fought three siblings and refers to his family often while
State Reps. Brandon Dillon, Roy Schmidt and
happening here.”
for our freedom. And he blasts Amash for his campaigning.
Kate Segal.
votes against extending unemployment and the
“They’ve come a long way,” Thomas said.
“The cornerstone issue,” Pestka said, “is
payroll tax extension, and Amash’s criticism of “We went through some hard times but we all
putting a congressman in office who is not on
the automobile industry bailout.
came through it. And kids need to hear these
the far right.”
“He (Thomas) talks about issues that I things so they know they’re not alone.”
He said he supports equal rights for
care about,” said Holland Democrat Shannon
• You can find out more about
everyone and civil unions for LGBT people but
Garrett, who held a house party fundraiser for
Trevor Thomas and either volunteer or
not full marriage equality. He wouldn’t fully
Thomas even though his house district does not
donate to his campaign by going to www.
explain his stance on abortion, saying only that
include Holland. “I like that he pays attention to
trevorforcongress.com.
Those who know Thomas well describe him his voting record while in office was pro-life
our veterans, is pro choice and supports LGBT as tireless and energetic, willing to work 15-hour
• You can find out more about Steven
and that it would not be an issue in the race. Yet
rights and I think it’s important, when you find days on the campaign trail. His day typically
Pestka and either volunteer or donate to his
when Pestka and Thomas appeared before Kent
someone who has all the same values that you includes making fundraising calls in the morning,
campaign by going to www.votepestka.com
County Democrats recently, it was Thomas who
do, that you support him.”
urging people to give $5, $10, $20 or whatever
See Thomas, page 7
they can afford, holding campaign meetings,
Can he do it?
How to help
A tireless worker
Michigan News / May 3, 2012 / BTL
www.PrideSource.com
® Thomas
Continued from p. 7
was called out for being “pro choice,” indicating
it may well be an issue.
And, indeed, it is an issue for Garrett and
other women supporters, who believe strongly in
their right to make their own decisions about what
happens to their bodies and their lives.
If opposing Democrats, some of whom have
urged him to drop out of the race, think they can
rattle Thomas by such displays of opposition,
they obviously don’t know the 28-year-old. He is
strong minded and deeply committed to the race,
strongly tied to his belief that the district needs to
return congressional reins to someone with Gerald
Ford-like beliefs of pro-equality, pro-choice and
pro moving the country forward instead of miring it
in unmoving political ideology. And he is strongly
rooted in his Catholic faith.
“I believe strongly in God,” he said. “It’s what
keeps me and the campaign going.”
The numbers
Pestka’s campaign stated he raised about
$130,000 from about 425 supporters in the first
quarter of 2012 and also chipped in about $90,000
of his own money.
Thomas reported earning $100,552 from
749 supporters, clearly
enough to show he
cannot be taken
lightly and is a solid
contender.
Thomas likes
pointing to the
d i ff e r e n c e i n t h e
number of supporters,
because reaching
as many people
as possible is a
Steven Pestka is seeking the
key element in his
Democratic nod. He stands
campaign.
by his pro-life record.
“We only have to
raise enough money to
let people know they have a choice,” Thomas said.
“They only have to know Trevor exists.”
One of the ways he is doing that is through a
strong social media presence. He points with pride
to his social media numbers: 566 Facebook Likes
compared to 268 for Pestka; 113 weekly Facebook
mentions to 44 for Pestka; 1,106 Trevor for
Congress Twitter followers to 86 for Pestka; and
6,904 YouTube views, compared to 60 for Pestka.
While Ballenger considers it doubtful
that Thomas can win, he does not rule out the
possibility - especially, he said, if he gets strong
LGBT financial support. Such support, especially
early, is likely to be critical given that Pestka has
established money, and his own, behind him.
Garrett, who heads SMG Strategies, a
political consulting and training firm, also said
it’s possible if Thomas makes all the right moves.
“It will definitely require Trevor to get ahead
of the issues so that everyone can see that Trevor
stands for so much more than just gay issues,”
Gilbert said. “He’s going to have to raise his profile
and get to know the voters. But Grand Rapids has
changed a lot. There’s a growing youth and more
diverse population.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how it
plays out.”
7
Let Dominic speak: Mt. Pleasant
school un-invites former student
to speak at graduation
BY CRYSTAL PROXMIRE
MT. PLEASANT – Dominic SheahanStahl and his family are “shocked” after learning
that Sheehan-Stahl has been un-invited from
giving the speech at his younger brother’s
graduation from Sacred Heart Academy in Mt.
Pleasant. The reason? School officials found out
on Facebook that Sheehan-Stahl is gay.
The 32-year-old actor lives in New York,
but had been looking forward to a visit home
able to see his youngest brother graduate from
the Catholic school that three generations of his
family had attended.
The phone call reportedly came just one
day after students at the school heard a speech
about bullying. According to a video made by
Sheahan-Stahl and posted on YouTube, he had
been invited to speak at his brother’s graduation,
but on April 25 his mother received a call from
the school stating that he would not be able to
speak because he is openly homosexual.
“I am an open and out gay man, and I
have been for 14 years, and I have recently got
engaged so I have my engagement photos on
there,” Sheahan-Stahl said in the video.
Those interested can subscribe to updates at www.
facebook.com/dominic.sheahanstahl. Students
from Sacred Heart have also made a You Tube
video to show their support.
But his speech had nothing to do with
being gay. “If you go through it there’s not one
inkling of the word gay, of me talking about
manipulating people to be gay or anything like
that. My speech is all about fear…and how fear
can stop you from making a difference a lot.
I’ve realized this whole reaction is from fear.”
He said that his mother had been afraid
of him “putting it out there” on Facebook, but
that he wouldn’t be afraid and hide who he was.
“I came from a family that is very accepting.
My mom, I’m so grateful to have her, and my
grandmother and my grandfather and all my
aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters. My mom
especially taught me to love unconditionally.
…This is the first time in my life I’ve actually
been discriminated upon. I am very lucky
because there are some people every day who
get discriminated against.”
He said he forgives the school, and calls
it a bad decision. He also said he’s not going
to be quiet about it. Sheahan-Stahl said he still
plans to give his speech at a different location.
On May 20 after the SHS graduation he will
be speaking at Warriner Hall on the campus of
Central Michigan University at 1 p.m.
On Tuesday, the Midland Daily News
reported that Sacred Heart Academy principal
Denny Starnes had taken a three-day paid leave
of absence. It was not clear if the leave was
voluntary, but at a press conference on Friday
LGBT teen suicide to be focus
of Farmington ‘conversation’
FARMINGTON HILLS - In response to an alarming increase in Oakland County
teen suicides, the Farmington Area Suicide Prevention Task Force is hosting a community
conversation on suicide prevention in LGBT youth May 23. The event is targeted at parents,
youth (ages 12 to 18), teachers, the faith community, service club members, and others who
have regular contact with young people.
Featured speakers will include Affirmations Executive Director Dave Garcia, Mike
Neubecker of PFLAG Downriver, psychologist Fran Brown and Naomi Khalil, director of
instructional equity for Farmington Public Schools.
Suicides have increased by 21 percent in Oakland County since 2008, and Farmington
Hills had 10 suicides in 2011, according to Police Chief Chuck Nebus. With a theme of
“Let’s Talk About It,” the Farmington Area Suicide Prevention Task Force is bringing
community leaders together to reach out to troubled youth and counteract alarming trends
in suicide and suicide attempts.
Farmington Hills City Councilman Dr. Ken Massey has spearheaded efforts to remove
the stigma of suicide. “We want to bring the topics of depression and suicide out into the
open so that all people will seek the help they need,” said Dr. Massey, who lost his son,
Graham E. Smith, to suicide last year.
The meeting will be at Farmington Hills City Hall from 7 to 8:30 p.m. For more
information, call the City Manager’s Office at 248-871-2500.
Actor Dominic Sheahan-Stahl, left, was univited as
commencement speaker at the May 20 Sacred
Heart Academy in Mt. Pleasant. He plans to give the
speech the same day after SHS graduation at Central
Michigan University at 1 p.m.
Starnes made comments in which he said he did
not agree with the decision to cancel SheahanStahl’s speech but he respected the church.
Annual Women’s
Golf OUTing coming
The 2012 Annual Women’s Golf OUTing
will be held June 9 in Plymouth. Join more than
one hundred golfers competing for terrific prizes.
Organizers want you to “ooooh and ahhhhh” while
golfers challenge each other for the prizes that
are awarded for Longest Drive, Longest Putt and
other games of skill and chance. The only real skill
necessary to play however, is the ability to have a
good time. Shake it all up at the morning Bloody
Mary Bar sponsored by our friends at Cork and
enjoy the tasty hand-crafted baked goods donated
by the artists of Avalon Bakery. Sign-up online
and come swing with your clubs at St. John’s Golf
Course while supporting two essential community
organizations: the Ruth Ellis Center and Equality
Michigan.
Get all the details and register today online: http://
equalitymi.org
8
BTL \ May 3, 2012 \ Opinion
www.PrideSource.com
Thinking Out Loud
Vol. 2018 • Issue 762
May 3, 2012
Our Civil Rights paradox
PUBLISHERS
Susan Horowitz & Jan Stevenson
Why we have to have political power to prove
that we don’t have political power
EDITORIAL
Editor in Chief
Susan Horowitz
[email protected]
Entertainment Editor
Chris Azzopardi
[email protected]
Arts & Theater Editor
Donald V. Calamia,
[email protected]
Calendar Editor
Benjamin Jenkins
[email protected]
CREATIVE
Art Director
David Ano, [email protected]
Webmaster & MIS Director
Kevin Bryant, [email protected]
Contributing Writers
Charles Alexander, Michelle E. Brown,
Zach Childree, Jack Fertig, Lisa Keen,
Jeremy Martin, Anthony Paull, Andrea Poteet,
Crystal Proxmire, Bob Roehr,
Hannah Schwab, Jody Valley,
D’Anne Witkowski, Rex Wockner, Dan Woog
Cartoonists
Paul Berg, Dave Brousseau, Joan Hilty
Contributing Photographers
Andrew Potter
ADVERTISING & SALES
Director of Sales
Jan Stevenson, [email protected]
Sales Representatives
Ed Bohach, [email protected]
Ann Cox, [email protected]
National Advertising Representative
Rivendell Media, 212.242.6863
Business Office
Diane Smith, [email protected]
Nancy Blankenship
Circulation & Distribution
Diane Smith
Pride Source Media Group
11920 Farmington Road
Livonia, Michigan 48150
Phone 734.293.7200 • Fax 734.293.7201
www.pridesource.com
Our rate cards are available online
All material appearing in Between The Lines is protected by federal
copyright law and may not be reproduced in whole or part without
the permission of the publishers. Between The Lines is supported
by many fine advertisers, but we cannot accept responsibility for
claims made by our advertisers, nor can we accept responsibility
for materials provided by advertisers or their agents.
Copyright 2012 Pride Source Media Group, LLC
BY ABBY DEES
I
’ve often thought I should write a column
called, “Weird Things Lawyers Do,” to
explain to normal people why attorneys,
like me, spend so much time arguing about
meaningless points. If you read any of the Prop
8 federal trial transcripts you may have noticed
that a lot of that trial was spent arguing about
whether LGBT people had political power. It was
a classic case of lawyers bringing everything to a
standstill to fight like feral cats about something
totally off topic.
But that question does, in fact, matter a lot.
The reason why the issue of LGBT
political power is so important in any LGBT
discrimination case is this: Discrimination
lawsuits are usually the remedy of last resort, so
the courts want to make sure that there’s a very
good reason for them to step in. One of the ways
they look at this is by asking how much political
power the targeted group has to fight for its rights
on its own.
When you have a majority of people voting
for something like Prop 8 based on their firmly
held (if completely delusional) beliefs, the court
doesn’t want to up-end the voter’s will without
first finding out if that’s really the only way for
the targeted group to adequately defend itself.
Think back to high school civics and all that stuff
about checks and balances. The court is supposed
to check the overreach of legislators or even
voters, but they can’t go overboard and thereby
undermine the democratic process. Therefore, to
challenge the tyranny of the majority in court, we
have to prove we’re politically powerless first.
We’re in an odd situation now. We’ve made
so much progress that we have HRC schmoozing
with the president, gay marriage in maybe eight
states by next year, a gay cable channel and
“girlfriend” jeans for men. Can we really say that
we have no political power? Isn’t that the point
of all this awareness work, to increase our clout
as a community?
The campaign against Prop 8 generated
millions of dollars and we had people like George
Clooney and Brad Pitt on our side. On either
side, it was perhaps the largest ballot initiative
campaign in any state ever. So it makes me cringe
a little that we have to act all victim-y in court to
fight for our civil rights. And yet we do.
I struggled watching this play out, knowing
as an attorney that there were good reasons to
claim this powerlessness, but still feeling like
some important fact was missing. It didn’t make
sense to me that as we got closer to equality as a
community, the courts would be less inclined to
support our equality.
I finally figured it out this month at a
conference of LGBT law and policy wonks who
came together just to look at this issue. First of
all, if you haven’t already noticed, the other
side really likes to turn the oppression narrative
around on us. As I discussed in my last column,
they are spending big money to disseminate the
idea that we are bullying them into silence. Poor
homophobes are suffering no less than full PTSD
from retaliation by very mean and powerful gay
people. A panelist at the conference I attended
read examples of this harassment from witness
declarations: Gay people gave Prop 8 supporters
dirty looks at the local country club, sons wrote
disapproving letters to parents expressing
sadness at their support for the measure. Haircurling stuff.
I’d like to call bulls*&t on this silly rhetoric
and remind people, again, what kind of damage
homophobia still does to our community,
especially or young members, despite any
political gains we’ve made.
Second, as law professor Kenji Yashino
explained, this whole “political power” thing
is a catch-22. Courts won’t give you the time
of day if you’re truly politically powerless. Off
the top of my head, I would guess that homeless
people haven’t exactly hit pay dirt in court, for
example. In other words, to win, you have to have
enough political power to hire the people and the
consultants to demonstrate that you don’t have
enough political power to do that. Yep, lawyers
are weird.
First of all, if you haven’t already
noticed, the other side really
likes to turn the oppression
narrative around on us. As I
discussed in my last column,
they are spending big money to
disseminate the idea that we
are bullying them into silence.
Poor homophobes are suffering
no less than full PTSD from
retaliation by very mean and
powerful gay people.
Opinion / May 3, 2012 / BTL
www.PrideSource.com
9
Creep of the Week
Speak Out
State Rep. Jeremy Faison
BY D’ANNE WITKOWSKI
Presidential progress
BY ERIC W. RADER
I
n his three years as president,
Barack Obama has taken a number
of actions to advance LGBT
equality in the United States. Only
one other chief executive, Bill Clinton,
made any real effort to push for equal
rights for our community while in
office. President Obama, meanwhile,
has made a number of decisions that
have moved our community a giant
step forward toward greater legal
equality in our country. The two
most significant pro-gay laws signed
by the current president include the
Matthew Shepard and James Byrd,
Jr. Hate Crimes Act, and the repeal
of the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t
tell” policy. The president has also
used his executive powers to reduce
discrimination. In 2009, President
Obama ended a travel ban that had
prevented HIV-positive foreigners
from entering the United States. In
another executive action, he ordered
all U.S. hospitals that accept federal
money to grant visitation rights to
the same-sex partners of patients.
Last year, the Obama Administration
announced that it would no longer
defend the highly discriminatory
“Defense of Marriage Act” in federal
court. The president has also appointed
a host of openly gay women and men
to high-level executive positions in
government, and has met regularly with
leaders of the LGBT community at the
White House.
While the president clearly
believes in the inherent worth, dignity,
and right to equality of all LGBT
Americans, there are some areas where
Obama has been slow to act. The most
obvious place where the president lags
is in his position on equal marriage
rights. Earlier in his political career,
Obama favored the right of same-sex
couples to marry. Since he became
active in national politics, the president
has changed his position on marriage
equality; he is against federal efforts
to ban gay marriage, but does not
currently favor allowing gay couples
to have full marriage rights. However,
in 2011 Obama said his position on
this issue is “evolving,” and there is
a strong hope that the president will
eventually endorse the right of samesex couples to marry.
Another area where LGBTs
often suffer discrimination is in the
workplace. Currently, a Clintonera executive order prohibits
discrimination based on sexual
While the president has
not been perfect on
issues of LGBT equality, it
is important not to make
the perfect the enemy
of the good. The truth is
that President Obama has
been quite good on LGBT
equality.
orientation in federal employment.
This order does not apply outside the
federal government, and Congress
has shown no willingness to pass
the Employment Nondiscrimination
Act (ENDA), legislation that would
ban workplace discrimination in the
private sector. Many people had been
hopeful that President Obama would
sign an executive order extending the
nondiscrimination policy to federal
contractors; his Administration has said
that such an order is not forthcoming.
While the president has not been
perfect on issues of LGBT equality, it
is important not to make the perfect the
enemy of the good. The truth is that
President Obama has been quite good
on LGBT equality. In contrast to the
presumptive Republican presidential
nominee, Mitt Romney, the president
is far superior on equal rights for our
community. The former Massachusetts
governor was once in favor of some
legal protections for gays, but can no
longer hold such positions and still
gain the nomination of the modernday Republican Party. Hostility to
equal rights for marginalized groups
is now the norm for the GOP, and any
candidate who dares to speak out on
behalf of these groups incurs the wrath
of the far right fringe that controls the
Republican Party.
It’s important to remember how
much President Obama has done for
our community, despite falling short
on a few issues. While the president
may not agree with us on everything,
he does understand that discrimination
against people because of sexual
orientation and gender identity is
wrong and has worked to end it.
Romney, on the other hand, is willing
to cater to the bigoted demands of the
far right fringe of his political party.
We need only recall how divisive the
last Republican president, George
W. Bush, was in using gay rights
as a wedge issue in his reelection
campaign in 2004. Republicans have
moved even further to the right in the
years since Bush’s second term, and
a President Romney, in combination
with a Republican Congress, would
make Bush look like a moderate on
social issues. All of us must recognize
the stakes in this election and not get
caught up in the trap of political purity.
President Obama is a friend to our
community with a few flaws, while
Romney is certainly not our friend
and is almost completely flawed on the
issues that matter most to us. LGBT
voters need to look at the candidates’
records when voting this year - there
is a clear difference between the two
candidates for president that should
not be ignored.
Learn more online:
White House web page on
President Obama and the LGBT
Community:
www.whitehouse.gov/lgbt
S
uicide is one of those things
with no positives. I mean, no
one kills him or herself because
things
are going
well. Even
assisted
suicide,
intended
to have the
positive
outcome of
allowing
someone
Jeremy Faison
to die with
dignity, is proceeded by some of the
worst life has to offer.
So I don’t fear offending
anyone when I say that suicide is
really fucking horrible no matter
what age the person is. But there’s
something especially sad about
young people taking their own lives.
Feeling like, “Hey, 15 (or 13 or 10
or, my god, even younger than that)
years is enough of this cruel world
and I don’t see anything worth
sticking around for.”
And everybody asks, “Why?
Why did this child do this terrible
thing?” We want there to be a reason.
Something solid we can point at and
say, “This.”
For all too many LGBT kids
the reason we turn to is bullying.
Being called a faggot or a dyke or
getting physically assaulted day in
and day out while school authority
figures look on (and all too often
they do) can be a little much for a
kid to handle.
Which is why anti-bulling
legislation is such a hot topic these
days. I mean, no one wants kids to
be bullied in school. But these bills
face strong opposition because they
often include explicit protections
for LGBT youth. This, of course,
acknowledges a couple of things that
make some people uncomfortable:
that gay kids exist and that other
kids – even straight, Christian ones
– are making their lives a living hell.
Enter State Rep. Jeremy Faison
speaking out against cyber bullying
legislation in Tennessee.
“We can’t continue to legislate
everything. We’ve had some horrible
things happen in America and in our
state, and there’s children that have
actually committed suicide, but I
will submit to you today that they
did not commit suicide because of
somebody bullying them,” he said.
According to the Tennessean,
the “horrible things” that happened
in “our state” he’s referring to are
probably the January, 2012 suicide
of 14-year-old Phillip Parker and the
December, 2011 suicide of 18-yearold Jacob Rogers. Both boys killed
themselves following prolonged
anti-gay harassment.
So, if bullying didn’t cause
these suicides, what did cause them,
Faison?
“They committed suicide
because they were not instilled the
proper principles of where their selfesteem came from at home,” he said.
Ah. Of course. Had their parents
only done a better job teaching them
Ah. Of course. Had their
parents only done a
better job teaching
them to hold their
heads high while people
called them “faggot”
and told them they
were going to hell...
to hold their heads high while people
called them “faggot” and told them
they were going to hell and nobody
at their schools seemed to do much
to protect them. Because, as we
all know, teenagers are definitely
emotionally stable and confident and
not at all influenced by their peers.
So, yeah, according to Faison,
your kid killing him or herself isn’t
something that has anything to do
with him. It’s just a big Parenting
FAIL.
Keep in mind that Tennessee is a
state where Senate Republicans want
to change “the state’s anti-bullying
law to exempt condemnations of
homosexuality based on religion,”
according to the Huffington Post.
But don’t worry, Faison
apologized.
“After reviewing my comments
on the House Floor today, I regret
what was a poor choice of words,”
he said. “My true intent was to
protect children from becoming
criminals. Suicide has touched my
family, and I would never want a
parent or family member to feel
they were responsible for such an
unimaginable tragedy.”
Unless, of course, your kid is
gay. Because that’s totally your fault.
10
BTL \ May 3, 2012 \ Opinion
Oakland A’s pitcher Brandon McCarthy blasted
baseball stadium’s “kiss cams” for selecting
two men to spark laughter as immature and
homophobic. What do you think? Homophobic,
or all in good fun?
www.PrideSource.com
S/he Said
North Carolina, diversity, Ellen
COMPILED BY HOWARD ISRAEL
Rev. Dr. William
J. Barber
–Rev. Dr. William J. Barber
II, president, North Carolina
NAACP, about NC’s Amendment One, WinstonSalem Journal www2.Journalnow.com, Apr. 18.
Brandon McCarthy proves that attitudes in the
United States are moving in the right direction.
–Keith Hewitt
“A new analysis of 2010 U.S. Census
data has found that same-sex couples
are more likely to be interracial
or inter-ethnic compared to their
heterosexual counterparts... 20.6
percent, or more than one in five
same-sex couples, were interracial
or inter-ethnic, compared with 18.3
percent of straight unmarried
couples, and 9.5 percent of straight
Gary Gates
married couples. Among the study’s
other interesting findings: those
same-sex couples which included a racial or ethnic minority
were also more likely to be raising children, and the number
of same-sex couple-led households increased at a faster
rate between 2000 and 2010 compared to that of married
or unmarried heterosexual households.”
I go to a lot of baseball games and never liked
the “kiss cam.” Gay can be funny at times with
good writing and understanding, but this always
felt like a stupid middle school “let’s act gay to
get a cheap easy laugh.” It should stop.
–Antonio David Garcia
I’m glad he stood up. It’s funny if it wasn’t treated
as being wrong, but it is.
–Stefany Specht
Do people at the game applaud when the two
men kiss?
–Mark Sartor
I take my boyfriend with me to games all the time.
If they showed us on the “kiss cam,” I wouldn’t
think twice about kissing him. I’m sure we’d get
booed but so what? I don’t need their approval
anyway.
–David Hintze
Nice to hear Brandon is joining the fight against
homophobia. But, I have to say, that’s one guy I
wouldn’t mind kissing on camera!
–Patrick Wallace
Comments may be edited for grammar and length.
Join the conversation ...
Search: “Between The Lines Newspaper”
“Whether you agree or disagree
with same-sex marriage, that is a
personal and religious choice. You
should disagree with anybody who
is writing hatred and discrimination
into the constitution. You should vote
against this amendment that strips
some North Carolina families of their
human rights.”
President Obama
“While the president does not weigh in on every single ballot
measure in every state, the record is clear that the President
has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny
rights and benefits to same sex couples. That’s what the
North Carolina ballot initiative would do - it would single
out and discriminate against committed gay and lesbian
couples - and that’s why the President does not support it.”
–Cameron French, President Obama’s North Carolina
campaign spokesman, in a statement about NC’s Amendment
One, the ballot proposal that would add an amendment to
the state constitution that would ban same-sex marriage
in NC and any other type of “domestic legal union” such
as civil unions and domestic partnerships, but also bar
unmarried heterosexual couples from many benefits,
including protection of laws involving domestic violence
between and domestic-partner insurance coverage, Charlotte
Observer, www.Charlotteobserver.com, Mar. 17.
–Gary Gates, Williams Distinguished Scholar at UCLA
School of Law’s Williams Institute, in his report titled
“Same-Sex Couples In Census 2010: Race And Ethnicity,”
finding that same-sex couples are most likely to be interracial
or interethnic, http://Williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu, Apr 26.
“Fifteen years ago today, Ellen
DeGeneres’s character Ellen
Morgan came out of the closet while
42 million Americans watched.
During the fourth season of ‘Ellen’ in
1997, DeGeneres came out publicly
as a lesbian in an appearance on
‘The Oprah Winfrey Show.’ Shortly
afterwards on the April 30, 1997,
Ellen DeGeneres episode of ‘Ellen’ titled “The
Puppy Episode,” her character
Ellen Morgan also came out to a therapist played by Winfrey,
and the series went on to explore various LGBT issues
including the coming out process. Thank you Ellen for an
inspirational fifteen years.”
–JoeBlow, blogger, on his blog site titled “The
Closet Professor,” in his posting titled “The Puppy
Episode,” Closetprofessor.blogspot.com, Apr. 30.
Opinion / May 3, 2012 / BTL
www.PrideSource.com
Parting Glances
Pages past
tense #8
BY CHARLES ALEXANDER
F
ifty years ago Detroit’s Washington
Boulevard was busy setting for
exclusive shops, upscale restaurants,
elegant bistros, stretching sedately from Grand Circus Park’s
popular Statler Hotel to Michigan Avenue’s prestigious Sheraton
Cadillac.
Both hotel bars catered to a discrete, well-heeled, happy-hour
gay clientele. Good manners expected. No camping it up. No
untoward touching. No two-shots-and-a-beer, buddy-buddying.
No Mary this! No Mary That!
At the Statler, offenders were handed a terse note: “Your
patronage is not wanted here!”
For those engaging in the covert pastime of dalliance in
sensual stalls of solicitation, the nearby Tuller Hotel was notorious,
as were the Telenews theater balcony, Brass Rail Bar (where 50’s
pop star Johnny Ray was arrested - twice by the same cop!), several
park underground, tap-tap loos.
As a teenager all was terra incognita, but I learned the lay
of the land from “experienced” trowelers who had navigated
the watering spots first hand. I did venture cautiously into the
Greyhound Bus Depot on Washington Boulevard to check out
noonday comings and goings. (So to speak.)
I was cautious. And warned. “Miss Tillie (vice cop) goes
there all the time. Mind your business. If you have to pee, just
pee. Don’t look anybody straight in the eye!” Stories of arrests
for merely peeking at a vice officer were many. “It’s your word
against theirs. Case closed.”
Behind the Greyhound was another gay teenagers hangout
called Mama’s, one diner star rating over Hub Grill’s none. Mama’s
was owned by the mom of thirty-something, Butch Jimmy (“BJ”),
who had his share of impressionable teenagers. Myself included.
Mama - short, roly-poly faced - was of some slavic heritage.
She wore her hair in a tight bun and dressed in basic black (no
pearls). She got her sense of humor by osmosis, greeting regulars
with a hearty hand flutter, loudly announcing, “Kud-de-vahs!
Kud-de-vahs!” (“Whores! Whores!”)
Mama employed Frank, a cadaverous looking cook, who,
while abusing hamburgers and squinting menacingly at fries,
would tell anyone who’d listen that he had made his funeral
arrangements and knew exactly where, and in what pastel satinlined casket, he’d be buried. (R.I.P.!)
During many visits to Mama’s I became friends with my Hub
Grill idol, Rich. A Polish blond, Rich Suess liked dark-haired,
swarthy types. Italians. Spaniards. Mood Indigos. (I was just a
tepid Anglo-Saxon, dishwater, Brillo-pad brunet.)
For me it was important to act straight. I didn’t like hanging
around with flamers. I knew that my day-to-day survival in this
fairy-fag-hating world depended upon passing, looking like your
average Elvis Presley, duck-tailed, occasionally hip-gyrating,
pegged pants, Zoot suit groupie.
Rich looked straight as a 10-inch, no-nonsense nun’s ruler
(until decades later when returning as a New York hair dresser,
with a “FAB-you-luss!” ersatz Brooklyn accent). Just weeks into
our newly formed alliance, Rich suggested hitting Toledo Ohio’s
Scenic Bar. “Hey, Al! It’s brand new turf. Fun and games. Drinking
age 18. You’ll love it.”
So I did (except for gawdawful 50-cent Zing! 3.2 beer). It
was a gas. Not to be passed up. (Or down.)
[email protected]
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11
12
BTL \ May 3, 2012 \ Michiganl News
www.PrideSource.com
Michigan health dept. probes possible
release of confidential HIV information
BY TODD HEYWOOD
The Michigan Department of Community
Health is investigating whether private health
information pertaining to thousands of HIVpositive residents and their partners was
improperly released, documents obtained by
The American Independent show. According to a
spokesperson, the department does not currently
believe an “unauthorized disclosure of health
information” occurred, but the investigation is
ongoing.
“While we cannot comment on the
specifics of the current internal investigation,
at this point in time we do not believe there
has been an unauthorized disclosure of health
information. However, if we thought there had
been an unauthorized disclosure, we would have
immediately started taking steps to notify any
potentially affected individuals,” wrote Angela
Minicucci, spokesperson for MDCH in an April
20 email to The American Independent. “At
this time that’s all I can share with you without
delving into further specifics and potentially
comprising the investigation.”
Minicucci reiterated this information is a
second email on April 20.
“I do want you to keep in mind what I
mentioned earlier and to understand that the
investigation is not complete,” Minicucci wrote.
“That said, at the point we are currently at, we
do not believe that an unauthorized disclosure
has taken place.”
Michigan maintains confidential records
in its HIV Event System, which permanently
stores information about people who have
tested positive for HIV, including names, other
identifying information, and demographic
information.
The documents describing the investigation,
released in response to a Michigan Freedom of
Information Act request, show the department
has been looking into a series of incidents
in which thousands of emails were allegedly
forwarded from department accounts to outside
email addresses.
One document indicates that a database
containing “protected health information on
approximately 3,800 people with HIV and 2,100
partners” may have been released. According to
that document, however, the database did not
contain any names.
The documents do not make clear what
exactly was contained in that database. In a
phone interview with TAI, Minicucci said
the department is certain the database did not
contain names, dates of birth, or Social Security
Numbers. Those three items, she said, were “key
private health information identifiers.”
TAI asked Lance Gable, a professor at
Wayne State University Law School who
specializes in health issues, to review the
documents..
“Whether the database in question contained
sufficient information to violate [federal health
information privacy laws] HIPAA [and]
HITECH, and state laws related to preventing
unauthorized disclosure of HIV information will
depend on what information is actually in the
database,” Gable told TAI. “Removal of names
does not necessarily mean that the data have
been de-identified. A person may be identified
through other data. However, until there is more
information, I do not feel comfortable assessing
whether the MDCH conclusion is reasonable
or not.”
Documents show the department’s
investigation, which is being conducted in
conjunction with the state Attorney General’s
office, could result in criminal charges. Michigan
law has a strict confidentiality provision
related to HIV information. The law, MCL
333.5131, specifically outlines when and where
such information can be revealed. Revealing
that information in violation of the act is a
misdemeanor, with punishments of up to one year
in jail and/or a $5,000 fine. That law is repeatedly
referenced in the documents describing the
investigation.
The department declined to release some
documents to TAI, saying that releasing them
One document indicates
that a database containing
“protected health information
on approximately 3,800 people
with HIV and 2,100 partners”
may have been released.
would interfere with the investigation into the
“alleged wrong disclosure” of information
protected by state law. Some documents were
withheld because they were considered to be
subject to attorney-client privilege.
In addition, investigators are reviewing
possible violations of the confidentiality
agreements employees of MDCH sign. Those
agreements read, in part:
“The misuse or removal of confidential
information from the premises of DHWDC
[Division of Health, Wellness and Disease
Control] by an employee or staff member, except
with prior written authorization of the Division
Director and as necessary in the performance of
a duty related to the services of DHWDC shall
be grounds for immediate discharge.”
A March 12 email from Mikelle Robinson, a
department employee, summed up the results of
a report provided by Kerie Hughes, the technical
services manager for the Michigan Public Health
Institute, a state contractor. That report was the
result of a review of thousands of emails to
determine what if any private health information
was released. The Robinson email references
information contained in the emails relating to
the case of a Grand Rapids-area man who has
been charged with failing to disclose his HIV
status to two sex partners. The man allegedly
admitted to police that he had attempted to infect
hundreds of people through unprotected sex and
needle sharing. Robinson states that the suspect’s
information was included, but correctly notes
that the information had already been shared
in the media.
The email then referenced the database
described as containing “protected health
information.”
“The only other issue was the database
that had protected health information on
approximately 3,800 people with HIV and
2,100 partners,” Robinson wrote to Jean Chabut,
deputy director for MDCH’s Public Health
Administration, and Matthew Rick, director of
the MDCH Office of Legal Affairs. “However
there were no names used. Codes were utilized
for each person and there was no key. One of
the things she [Hughes] said though is that there
is physician information and locations listed.
Do you think that this would be a breach of
protected information if there are no names in
the database?”
According to Minicucci, the investigation
into the potential release of private information
is part of a larger internal investigation being
conducted within MDCH.
TAI requested the documents after being
informed on March 28 of an “on-going internal
investigation” at the department. At the time,
Minicucci cited the investigation as the reason
MDCH was unable to answer questions about
the department’s decision to cut and then restore
funding to an AIDS services organization in Flint.
Senate OKs renewing Violence Against Women Act
BY LAURIE KELLMAN
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate
overcame election-year gender politics April 26
to pass a bill renewing the government’s main
domestic violence program.
The 68-31 vote marked the first time since
the Violence Against Women Act first passed in
1994 that its renewal has drawn opposition in the
Senate, reflecting the increasing polarization of
the chamber and hair-trigger political sensitivities
over women’s issues in this presidential and
congressional election year.
“In 2012, we should be beyond questioning
the need for the Violence Against Women Act,”
Vice President Joe Biden said in a statement.
He urged the House to act quickly so President
Barack Obama can sign the renewal into law.
But the path there could be equally tricky.
Majority Republicans are writing their own
version, which is likely to resemble a GOP
alternative widely rejected by the Senate.
Twice renewed without opposition in the
Senate, the bill of programs to prevent domestic
violence and sexual abuse ran headlong into
the partisan warfare that has shut or slowed
legislative business since the 2010 elections. Not
helping smooth the way: the broader political
fight for pivotal female voters and the Democrats’
election-year narrative that accuses Republicans
of waging a “war on women.”
The bill would reauthorize the Violence
Against Women Act for five years with funding
of $659.3 million a year, down $136.5 million
annually from the last act, which has expired.
The money pays for such programs as legal
assistance for victims, enforcement of protection
orders, transitional housing and youth prevention
programs.
Democrats sought to expand the law by
adding protections certain to draw conservative
opposition. One would explicitly name gays,
lesbians and transgender people to the group of
those protected under the law. Another would
raise the cap on visas granted to abused legal
and illegal immigrants from 10,000 to 15,000.
A third would expand the authority of Native
American officials to handle cases of abuse of
Indian women by non-Indians.
The bill drew 61 co-sponsors, more than
enough to block filibusters and set up a political
dare to Republicans: Vote no, and you’re waging
a “war against women.”
The strategy raised hackles among
Republicans, who insisted they had women’s
interests at heart, too. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.,
said the narrative was a distraction from issues
Democrats would rather not discuss, such as the
economy and gas prices.
“We face an abundance of hard choices,”
said McCain, the GOP’s 2008 presidential
nominee and a leading supporter of Republican
hopeful Mitt Romney this year. “Divisive slogans
and declaring of phony wars are intended to
avoid those hard choices and to escape paying a
political price for doing so.”
See Violence, page 13
www.PrideSource.com
National News / May 3, 2012 / BTL
\ Michigan News
Lesbian Scout leader ousted
in Ohio; parents upset
BY JOHN SEEWER
volunteers but not followed,” said Deron
Smith, a spokesman for the Boy Scouts
of America at its headquarters in Irving,
The first-graders in Ohio Pack
Texas. “When a fellow pack leader made
109’s Tiger Scouts didn’t know or care
a complaint about it, to a local Scouting
their den mother was a lesbian - at least
professional, they followed the policy.”
not until the Boy Scouts of America
The organization said it believes
threw her out over the organization’s
Scouting is not the right place for
ban on gays.
youngsters to be exposed to issues of
Now, parents who were aware of
sexual orientation.
Jennifer Tyrrell’s sexual orientation
Tyrrell said she is not certain
well before she took the boys on
who complained, but she felt
campouts and helped them carve
betrayed.
race cars for the annual Pinewood
So did parents, who organized a
Derby have rallied to her defense
protest last week outside the church
in a case that has re-ignited the
where the pack held its meetings.
debate over the Scouts’ policy.
They demanded Tyrrell be reinstated.
“I teach my children to
Crystal Sabinsky said: “My son
judge people on their actions,”
asked me last night, `Why did Jen
said Rob Dunn, a father in
leave? Why is she in trouble?’ He
Bridgeport, a village of about
doesn’t understand.”
2,000 across the Ohio River from
“The only people who were hurt
Wheeling, W.Va. “Whether you
were the kids,” Dunn said “They’re
agree with their lifestyle or not.”
asking questions they shouldn’t have
The Boy Scouts of America,
to ask at this point.”
whose oath calls for members to
Parents of the Tiger Scouts, a
be “morally straight,” maintains
program for first-grade boys before
that as a private organization it
they become Cub Scouts, said they
has the right to exclude gays and
never heard Tyrrell mention her
atheists from its ranks.
sexuality to the children. Club rules
That stance was upheld by
require a parent or other adult to
the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000
accompany each child to every
but has led many state and local
governments to deny support for Ousted lesbian Tiger Scout Den Mother Jennifer Tyrell meeting.
“I had no clue she was a lesbian. It
seen her with her son. AP photo.
the Scouts.
doesn’t really make a difference to me,”
Male scout leaders who are
said Don Thomas, whose grandson is in
gay have long been barred, but
instances of women being excluded are of has ever made a single complaint the pack. “She did a fantastic job, and
the kids loved her. You couldn’t ask for
not well-documented and probably rare. against her.”
Tyrrell said she was removed in a better den leader.”
A lesbian couple in Vermont were told
Gay rights groups have taken
two years ago that they could no longer April, right after she was asked to take
be involved with their son’s Scout troop. over as treasurer of the local Boy Scout up Tyrrell’s cause, starting an online
Because of the policy, Tyrrell said troop – which oversees Tiger Scouts, petition to get the Scouts to change
she only reluctantly allowed her 7-year- Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts – and she their policy.
“The extent that people care
old son to join up in Bridgeport, where raised questions about the finances.
She said the Boy Scout Council is amazing,” Tyrrell said. “We’re a
she lives with her partner and their four
children. Told, she said, by the local cub for the region told her she had to resign perfectly normal family. We’re not
dangerous. We’re not predators. We’re
master that it didn’t matter that she is a because she is gay.
“In this case, the policy was just normal, everyday people.”
lesbian, she was drafted to lead the pack
understood by her and her fellow
in September.
® Violence
Continued from p. 12
To prove it, Republicans offered
alternatives that would delete the
references to gays, lesbians and
transgender people, keep the cap on
visas at its current level and allow tribal
authorities to go to federal court for
protective orders on behalf of abused
Native American women.
But the Senate rejected the options
Tyrrell told parents at their first
meeting about her sexual orientation.
Some already knew her because she had
coached youth baseball and volunteered
at school, organizing class parties and
reading to children.
“She wasn’t trying to hide
anything,” said Dunn, whose son is
among the dozen or so members of
the boys-only pack. “Nobody I know
overwhelmingly. And in the end, even its
sponsor, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of
Texas - and McCain - were among the
15 Republicans who voted for the final
Democratic bill.
The 31 Republicans who voted no
said they support the spirit of the act
but had problems with the Democratic
rewrite up for consideration.
Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., for
example, said he opposed the bill in
part because he believes abused women
are best served by state and local
governments.
And Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said
he voted `no’ because he believes the
tribal provisions in the bill would be
unconstitutional. Under the measure,
Native American officials would be
allowed to arrest, prosecute and imprison
non-Indians, who cannot vote in tribal
elections or have a say in crafting laws
that could be used against him, Kyl said.
13
Toledo mayor to propose
domestic partner
benefits
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) – The mayor of Toledo wants to extend
health care and other benefits to the gay and unmarried partners of
city employees.
The Blade reports that Toledo Mayor Mike Bell plans to introduce
legislation this week to extend benefits to the domestic partners of city
employees, provided they have certified their status with Toledo’s
Domestic Partner Registry.
Cleveland and Columbus already offer domestic partner benefits,
along with Lucas County and the University of Toledo.
The newspaper reports that Bell’s announcement was met with
some skepticism from Toledo city councilmen. One expressed both
financial and moral concerns about the proposal.
Bell says he doesn’t expect the cost of providing the additional
benefits to be high. He estimates about 2 percent of the city’s workforce
would sign up for the benefits.
Senate approves Colo.
civil unions
DENVER (AP) – The Senate approved a proposal to grant
Colorado gay couples legal rights similar to marriage after two days
of emotional debate.
The bill now faces its biggest challenge in the GOP-led House,
which rejected the same proposal last year. Three Republicans joined
all Democrats in approving the civil unions legislation on a 23-12
vote Thursday.
Democrats spent months trying to persuade a House Republican
to carry the bill but were unsuccessful. That doesn’t bode well for the
bill’s chances.
Supporters delivered impassioned speeches, saying gay couples
lack important legal benefits. Some Republicans argued the measure
undermines marriage.
Republicans showed stacks of cards from constituents urging
them to vote no. Democratic Sen. Pat Steadman, the bill sponsor, said
the postcards are outweighed by constitutional rights.
Online: Colorado Senate Bill 2: http://goo.gl/Fuofn
Pitt student group files
complaint against school
PITTSBURGH (AP) – A student group at the University
of Pittsburgh has filed a complaint over the school’s treatment of
transgender students.
The Rainbow Alliance filed the complaint on April 26 with the
city’s Commission on Human Relations.
The group represents gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
people at the school.
It says the Pitt policy requiring transgender students to use
bathrooms, locker rooms and other facilities that match the sex listed
on their birth certificate is “extremely regressive” and unsafe, putting
such students at increased risk of violence and harassment.
Pitt spokesman Robert Hill says the school does not comment
on litigation, but does not discriminate based on gender identity and
expression.
City officials say the complaint could take six to nine months to
investigate.
14
BTL \ May 3, 2012 \ National
www.PrideSource.com
Health care debate: high
stakes for those with HIV
Medicaid expansion, pre-existing condition benefits
at stake in anticipated Supreme Court ruling
BY DAVID CRARY
NEW YORK (AP) – For many
HIV-positive Americans, and those who
advocate on their behalf, these are days
of anxious waiting as the Supreme Court
ponders President Barack Obama’s health
care overhaul.
This loose-knit community – made
up of activists, health professionals and
an estimated 1.2 million people living
with HIV – has invested high hopes in
the Affordable Care Act, anticipating
that it could dramatically improve access
to lifesaving care and treatment. The
act is now in limbo as the high court
deliberates on its constitutionality, notably
its requirement that most Americans obtain
health insurance. A ruling could come in
June.
“The HIV treatment community sees
the act as a critical step in our fight against
the AIDS epidemic,” said Scott Schoettes
of Lambda Legal, a national gay-rights
advocacy group. “People have been
counting on it, making plans based on its
implementation, so for it to be pulled out
from under their feet at this point would be
a tremendous loss.”
Among its many provisions, the
health care law has two major benefits for
HIV-positive people: It expands Medicaid
so that those with low incomes can get
earlier access to treatment, and it eliminates
limits on pre-existing conditions that have
prevented many people with HIV from
obtaining private insurance.
Under current policies, low-income
HIV-positive people often do not qualify
for Medicaid if they are not yet sick enough
to be classified as disabled.
In the view of advocacy groups,
this creates a cruel Catch 22 – at a stage
when they are still active and productive,
these people can’t afford the antiretroviral
treatments that could help them stay that
way. Only when their condition worsens
are they able to qualify for Medicaid and
get treatment that might have prevented
the deterioration.
The health care act would remove the
disability requirement and makes Medicaid
available to a broader range of low-income
adults.
“It will prolong life potentially by
decades for literally hundreds of thousands
of persons,” said the National Minority
AIDS Council in its Supreme Court brief.
“Individuals can continue to work and
allowed to deny coverage to anyone with
HIV/AIDS or impose annual limits on
coverage.
Schoettes, who is Lambda Legal’s
HIV Project director and is HIV-positive
himself, says this part of the law would
curtail harmful insurance practices.
“For the first time in 30 years,
thanks to advances in HIV
prevention and treatment
research, we can realistically
envision the end of the greatest
pandemic of our time. To reach
this goal, we cannot afford to
take any steps backward.”
- Dr. Judith Aberg of the New
York University School of
Medicine, recently pleaded
for the health care law to be upheld.
go about their daily lives as productive
members of society.”
According to the Department of
Health and Human Services, only about
13 percent of people with HIV have private
health insurance and about 24 percent
have no coverage at all. As a group, HHS
says, these people “have been particularly
vulnerable to insurance industry abuses”
and face barriers to obtaining care from
qualified providers.
Under the new law, insurers cannot
rescind existing coverage to adults
unless there’s evidence of fraud. As if
2014, when the law is scheduled for full
implementation, insurers will not be
“Most private insurers have refused to
provide affordable coverage to those with
HIV,” he and other Lambda Legal lawyers
wrote in a brief submitted to the Supreme
Court in March.
“This market failure has caused
serious consequences both for individuals
with HIV – who suffer unnecessary illness
and premature death – and for society
generally in higher overall health care costs
and lost productivity,” the lawyers wrote.
“Virtually all this suffering is avoidable:
medical care is available that can turn HIV
into a chronic, manageable condition.”
See Health care, page 15
National / May 3, 2012 / BTL
www.PrideSource.com
Among its many provisions, the health care law has two major benefits for HIV-positive
people: It expands Medicaid so that those with low incomes can get earlier access to
treatment, and it eliminates limits on pre-existing conditions that have prevented many
people with HIV from obtaining private insurance.
® Health
care
Continued from p. 14
America’s Health Insurance Plans, which represents major
private health insurers, opposed Obama’s health care law. The trade
group says it supports expanding coverage to most Americans but
believes key provisions in the law are poorly designed and will
raise costs and cause disruptions.
The organization’s spokesman, Robert Zirkelbach,
acknowledged that under the current system, individuals with
HIV or AIDS do find it hard to obtain private coverage if they
already had the disease. “If people wait until after they’re sick,
they’re often not able to get it,” he said.
However, he said health plans were active in trying to
improve treatment and care for HIV-positive Americans, both their
own clients and others. He said insurers did sometimes rescind
coverage on grounds that a patient had not fully disclosed required
information, but that such instances were rare.
Among HIV-positive people without private insurance,
many rely on public programs such as Medicaid and Medicare,
but others are not eligible. As a last resort, if they meet the lowincome criteria, they can seek financial assistance through the
federal Ryan White Care Act.
However, advocates say the result is often patchwork health
care – or no care at all. Many uninsured people don’t get tested,
don’t know their HIV status and unwittingly transmit the infection
to others.
Antiretroviral treatment is expensive – often more than
$18,000 per year. But advocacy groups say treatment is costeffective, enabling more people to be self-sufficient and reducing
later spending on acute care and stays at hospices.
Advocacy groups also contend that the positive effects of
the federal health care act can be foretold by the experience
of Massachusetts, which adopted similar legislation in 2006.
According to a study last year by Harvard Law School’s Center for
Health Law and Policy Innovation, new HIV infections dropped
by 37 percent in Massachusetts from 2005 to 2008, while rising
by 8 percent in the rest of U.S.
By federal estimate, about 50,000 new cases of HIV
infection occur annually in the United States. The Centers for
Disease Control’s latest figures show that gay and bisexual men
account for about 60 percent of the new infections; blacks also
are affected disproportionately, accounting for about 13 percent
of the population and about 44 percent of new HIV infections.
The CDC also says the HIV infection rate in poor urban
areas is far higher than for the rest of the U.S. – and is on par with
the rate in such AIDS-devastated countries as Haiti and Angola.
“HIV is a disease of poverty,” said Dr. Michael Saag, an
HIV physician and researcher at the University of Alabama
at Birmingham. “That’s why the health care law is critically
important.”
In Alabama, he said, funding to provide HIV treatment for
low-income people has not risen to meet growing demand, and
clinics lack adequate staff and resources.
“Once on treatment, transmission of HIV is cut to almost
zero – but where do these people get treatment?” Saag asked.
“The question to people who are against the Affordable Care Act
is, `What are we going to do instead?”’
Saag is a past chairman of the HIV Medicine Association,
representing more than 4,800 health care professionals and
researchers. The current chair, Dr. Judith Aberg of the New York
University School of Medicine, recently pleaded for the health
care law to be upheld.
“For the first time in 30 years, thanks to advances in HIV
prevention and treatment research, we can realistically envision
the end of the greatest pandemic of our time,” she said. “To reach
this goal, we cannot afford to take any steps backward.”
15
In Illinois, state Rep. Greg Harris, who is HIV-positive, has
joined with colleagues in fighting to minimize funding cuts for
the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, a joint state-federal initiative
providing HIV medications to low-income people.
Harris believes the Affordable Care Act can be a huge help
in providing more HIV-positive people with health insurance.
Were it to be rejected by the Supreme Court, he said, “It would
take away a lot of hope for a lot of people.”
Online:
Health and Human Services fact sheet: http://1.usa.gov/
snPcYA
Lambda Legal’s Supreme Court brief: http://bit.ly/zOyeER
16
BTL \ May 3, 2012
www.PrideSource.com
Performing / May 3, 2012 / BTL
www.PrideSource.com
Hail
Sharon
'Drag Race' winner on life after show
and upcoming Detroit appearance
BY KATE OPALEWSKI
In a drag world of pretty feather boas, bedazzled
attire, full-face makeup and voluptuous body shapers,
Sharon Needles is embracing her scary side as the
controversial Queen of Darkness. This earned her the
title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” on season
four of Logo’s crossover hit reality show, RuPaul’s
Drag Race, hosted by none other than RuPaul Charles.
Needles will headline the network’s drag tour and
receive $100,000 plus cosmetics and other pretty prizes.
RuPaul kept fans hanging on during Monday
night’s reunion episode as he teased whether Chad
Michaels, Phi Phi O’Hara or Sharon Needles would
be taking the queen crown. Then he shocked everyone
when he said the fate of these queens lies in the viewers’
hands. For the first time in Drag Race history, the winner
was chosen in front of a live audience.
Self-described as beautiful, spooky and stupid,
the horror drag queen introduced millions of television
viewers to something way outside the box on season
four of Logo’s crossover hit reality show, "RuPaul’s
Drag Race," hosted by RuPaul Charles. In competition
with 12 other queens for the title of “America’s Next
Drag Superstar,” Needles has earned her reputation as
the gothiest character the show has ever seen.
“It’s so bizarre to be on your own favorite TV
show," says Needles, a 29-year-old from Pittsburgh,
Penn., who grew up performing in the dive bars of Des
Moines, Iowa. "You know, if I ever have a chance to
See Sharon Needles, page 18
17
18
BTL \ May 3, 2012 \ Performing
www.PrideSource.com
® Sharon
Needles
Continued from p. 17
sit down and reflect on it, I’d probably combust
with overwhelmment. It’s almost numbing. It’s
overnight success. It’s going from punk-rock brat
to someone who holds a lot of responsibility and
merit. One of these days it’s all gonna hit me."
The people of Metro Detroit will have
the opportunity to experience her outrageous,
offensive, but wildly entertaining act on May 5 at
Reunion Nightclub in Pontiac.
“I love Detroit. Me and Detroit are a lot
alike: dirty, broke and underappreciated. I’ve been
thinking about buying a house there. I heard they’re
like $52,” says Needles.
Donning size-12 high heels and her Marilyn
Manson contact lenses, the 6-foot-tall queen
is pulling out all the stops to further shock her
audience. “I will pop out of coffins, there will be
ridiculous costume changes and anything that can
hide the fact that I have absolutely no beauty or
talent. Expect to see me embarrassing myself live
on stage for everyone else’s amusement,” she says.
Cracking jokes has always been Needles way
of protecting herself as she was bullied at a young
age. “It’s hard to punch someone that makes you
laugh. All drag queens have a machine gun. Jiggly
Caliente used her sense of hood rat and sexuality
as her machine gun. We need protection and we’ve
needed it since we were kids,” she says. “My wit
and my humor and just my sense of pop culture
references, those are my weapons and I use them
really fucking well. I have more wit than Phi Phi
O’Hara has eye makeup!”
But there were things she had to live without
during the shoots, which often ran for 16 hours
a day, six days a week. “They take away your
nicotine and they don’t give you any fucking
alcohol,” says Needles. “What I really wanted to do
when Phi Phi would yell at me was laugh because
it was funny, but she did get on my last nerve every
once in a while.
"The reason I would retaliate against her is
because I didn’t want my fans to see me take it like
some of the other funny, campier girls from past
seasons – who will go unnamed – who allowed
themselves to be abused and roughed up by the
cool girls or the pretty girls. I just needed to make
sure my fans knew that no, no, no, we don’t take
this shit, not anymore, not from you. And why are
you calling me weird? You’re a man in a dress!”
Needles likes to wear what she calls "Goth
Couture" and puts her personal New York nightlife
club twist on it. “I don’t really have fashion. That’s
why I did so well on the main stage, because I
didn’t dress like me, I dressed like the occasion.
As long as it meets the criteria and stands out from
the rest,” she says.
But Needles found herself in the bottom
two during episode eight and was almost asked to
“Sashay, away” when she had to lip-sync for her
life to "It’s Raining Men – The Sequel" by Martha
Wash and RuPaul.
“I didn’t suspect that my chances were good
going into that lip-sync and figured I would lose.
Out of any of the songs, that was the one I really
didn’t want, but I was standing there and realized
I’ve been here for so long and why am I treating
lip-syncing like a punishment when that’s always
something really fun, so let’s have fun and treat this
like a prize. It wasn’t, lip-sync for my life. It was,
Sharon Needles
Reunion Nightclub
40 West Pike St., Pontiac
248-454-1006
Doors at 10 p.m. May 5
Cover charge starts at $10
www.sharonneedles.com
lip-sync to the fucking death. Goddamn Willam
taking away my victory! Isn’t she great?” says
Needles, adding that she’s the kind of person that
tends to believe everything about the show no matter
what anyone tells her now that the process is over.
“It just makes it better. On the last day of filming, I
didn’t know there were cameras behind the makeup
mirrors. I live in a constant state of ignorance.”
Being from the Steel City, Needles has never
had a taste of Hollywood until the show. “It was so
surreal. It was like being in one of the most intense
dreams you’ve ever had where it’s so real, but it
possibly couldn’t be. The first time that door opened
and you hear, 'Hello, hello, hello, my 13 dolls!' – it’s
just phenomenal and RuPaul has such a motherly,
warm way that within a day it just felt like you were
hanging out with a really good friend.”
And for those who are wondering, the queens’
accommodations were taken care of. “They made
sure we were fed. They want to fatten you up. The
food is something they give you for comfort,” says
Needles, adding that during the show she missed
her famous boyfriend Alaska Thunderfuck. “I’m a
vegetarian and they have really bad vegetarian crap
in Hollywood, I have to say. So, I just ate bread and
toilet paper.”
As a token, Needles stole 20 pairs of Pit Crew
Underwear, five wigs by Risque Wigs, and four
pairs of RuPaul’s Drag Race Shoes by Iron Fist. “I
don’t mind saying this, but on our last day, if there
was something in the studio prettier than something
you already owned, we would toss what we owned
and stuff our bags full of stuff.”
When asked where she is keeping all the
goods, Needles said she bought a new apartment
now that the show has ended. “It’s called an airport.
I moved in a couple months ago and don’t plan on
leaving for some time. I gave up my favorite drug.
It’s called sleep. I’m basically touring America,
letting every city have the opportunity to watch me
embarrass myself late at night. I recommend you
get drunk. I get prettier after every beer.”
After 13 episodes, complete with 42 minutes
of laughter, tears and cat fights, Needles shares
a few last words. “I really appreciate that I’m as
popular and successful as I’ve been on the show,
but I just don’t know where they’re getting it. There
must be something about my essence that reminds
them of what they’re going through. I can be a
reminder to just tough it out and do whatever the
fuck you want to do and don’t bend for anyone. I’ve
said it before, I’ll say it again: For all you bad drag
queens, beginner drag queens, and all you 'boogerdown' drag queens, I love you. Bad drag is more
inspiring and interesting to watch than any polished
queen. And remember, being booed off stage is
just applause from ghosts. Happy Halloween and
Hail Satan.”
May 3, 2012 / BTL
www.PrideSource.com
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20 BTL \ May 3, 2012 \ Performing
www.PrideSource.com
A shining Ray of light
Indigo Girl talks new album, band’s beginnings and trailblazing
BY ANDREA POTEET
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On her sixth
solo album, “Lung of
Love,” Amy Ray takes
listeners to church with
confessional lyrics
about faith, life and love
in her honest, soulful
voice.
But Ray, half of
iconic lesbian folk-pop
duo The Indigo Girls,
would rather be taking
them to the dance floor.
“I think I just have
this fantasy of making
a 10- or 15-song
record, like a Ramones
record, where every
s o n g ’s t w o - a n d - a half minutes and you
can dance to every
single one of them,”
Ray rasps from a
Photo: John David Raper
van headed through
Connecticut on a
my upbringing, being raised on Jesus,” she
recent day off touring behind “Lung says with a laugh. “No matter how pagan I
of Love.” “I always wanted to make a become or how far away I might drift from
record that’s just like that, but it never where I started, I’m still going to have
happens because I’m always writing those cultural references. I think it’s part
other kinds of stuff and I just end up of my language and I just let it happen.”
wanting to put that on there too.”
Where it started for Ray was with
The album, which Ray released on a love of music. As a girl, she idolized
her own Daemon Records and will support glam rockers like David Bowie and Elton
with a stop on May 10 at Ann Arbor’s Blind John for their powerful voices and male
Pig, is a departure for Ray, who for the first perspectives without ever connecting it
time worked with a co-writer. Producer to her own sexuality.
Greg Griffith took a break from playing
“I didn’t even know what it meant
bass and guitar on the record to assist with to be gay until I had fallen in love with a
songwriting duties. Ray and Indigo Girl woman at age 17,” says Ray, 48. “I had
Emily Saliers usually write separately then no idea who was gay and who wasn’t
arrange and record together.
iconically.”
“I was kind of hitting a wall so I
In 1980, she began recording with
asked him to work on a chorus or a bridge childhood friend Saliers. The pair, who
or a melody for this or that and it became have never dated, were out to their
really easy for us to work together on that families, but struggled with the decision
kind of stuff,” Ray says. “It just helped to come out publicly for the next 10 years.
me to have someone kind of step in when
“We were scared, that’s the bottom
I hit a wall, especially with melody and line,” Ray says. “I wanted to talk about it,
where a song goes, how to get a certain and she really didn’t and we would wax and
narrative in a musical way.”
wane between the two of us on either side
Griffith brought more than just of the equation. It just felt disingenuous
songwriting to the album. His North not to address it. We didn’t lie or run away
Carolina warehouse studio, which also from it in a really bold way, but I think we
houses several churches, served as definitely sidestepped it sometimes.”
inspiration during the Sunday morning
Though Ray and Saliers were among
recording of “The Rock is My Foundation,” the first openly gay bands to have Topthe album’s Appalachian Gospel stomp. 40 success and a loyal cult following,
For Ray, the song is a nod to her Christian she says she doesn’t consider herself a
upbringing in suburban Georgia.
pioneer for out performers.
“ I t ’s w h a t e v e r y o u r c u l t u r a l
“I don’t think of things in those
references are that make you feel like terms because I feel so wrapped up in
you have a center sometimes. For me, it’s a community that has so many different
Amy Ray
9 p.m. May 10
Blind Pig
208 S. First St., Ann Arbor
blindpigmusic.com
levels of mentoring,” Ray says. “I’m
being mentored by kids in high school
that are doing great activism and opening
doors for me about how to articulate
gender politics. And at the same time,
there may be people who come to me
and say, ‘How would you handle this
situation: coming out or not coming out?’
There (are) a lot of people doing things
that open those doors.”
She said young gay musicians may
still face backlash and “ghettoization,”
but she’s glad that didn’t deter her from
speaking publicly about her sexuality,
despite record executives and publicists
who disagreed.
“The bottom line is you just gotta
be honest about who you are and where
it goes, you just don’t have any control
over. You just have to do your music.”
And for Ray, that means going
wherever her songwriting takes her, from
folk, punk and country influences to the
constant attempt at the illusive perfect
pop album.
“Maybe I’ll collect everything that
I think fits on the kind of record and put
a record together that’s just that at some
point,” Ray says about her pop leanings.
Anything else just wouldn’t be honest.
www.PrideSource.com
May 3, 2012 / BTL
21
22 BTL \ May 3, 2012 \ Ferndale
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www.PrideSource.com
Affirmations kicks off pride season with
5th annual All-Media Pride Exhibition
Affirmations is kicking off the start of pride
season with their 5th annual All-Media Pride
Exhibition this May in the community center’s
Pittman-Puckett Art Gallery.
The All-Media Pride Exhibition is an
opportunity for LGBT and allied artists showcase
their artwork which celebrates the LGBT
community. This year the exhibition is comprised
of artwork from 17 artists.
“As an artist who works in all media, I am
excited to participate in Affirmations All media
Pride Exhibition” says Karianne Spens-Hanna,
a local artist and recent College for Creative
Studies graduate. “This is a great opportunity
for artists to showcase their work supporting
the LGBTQ community and be a catalyst for
dialogue.”
Other well-known artists such as Mino
Watanabe, the Poor Man’s Art Collective,
and Charzette Torrence will be showcasing
artwork for the All-Media Pride Exhibition.
Exhibit curator and longtime Between The
Lines contributor Charles Alexander will be
showcasing his artwork as well. In addition to the
artwork on display, dancer and Artistic Director,
Kristi Faulker, will open the exhibition with a
solo dance performance piece.
The exhibit opens May 3rd with a reception
held from 6:30-9 p.m., giving viewers the
opportunity to meet many of the artists and
discuss the exhibition. Light refreshments will be
served. For more information, call 248-398-7105
or go to www.GoAffirmations.org
Artwork by Karianna Spens-Henna (top left and bottom)
and Charles Alexander (top right)
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Sports / May 3, 2012 / BTL
www.PrideSource.com
The OutField
Texas A&M tackles
diversity
BY DAN WOOG
A school on the list of America’s 10 least
inclusive colleges for LGBT students would seem
an unlikely host for a conference called “Sexual
Orientation and Gender
Identity in Sport.” But that’s
exactly what took place over
two days earlier this month.
Some of the leading
academic researchers
and activists in the gay
sports field traveled to
Texas A&M University
for panel discussions and
meetings. Topics included
the experiences of LGBT
athletes and coaches; the
intersection of LGBT athletes
and the media; strategies
for inclusiveness, and even
transgender issues in sport.
I was one of the
Pat Griffin
panelists. But even though
I’ve spent my professional
life in and around gay athletes, I learned plenty. So,
I’m sure, did the 13 other invitees, and the students
and professors who packed the meeting room.
I learned that Texas A&M is a paradoxical
place. It hosted this conference on an important type
of diversity, but it is a fairly non-diverse place. I saw
very few blacks, Hispanics or Asians. The LGBT
presence on campus appeared to be quite small.
Yet our group spent a wonderful afternoon at
the ranch of the A&M provost. She and her partner
seem to be a well-accepted, much-loved part of
the university community. They are proud of their
work there.
Much work remains to be done. In her opening
remarks, a school administrator admitted there is
“not much tolerance” for sexuality differences on
campus. But speaking words like that out loud – to
an audience of students, some of whom attended
solely to gain extra credit in class – is an important
step toward achieving that tolerance.
Keynote speaker Pat Griffin – a former coach,
emeritus professor of social justice at the University
of Massachusetts and director of the “Changing the
Game” sports project – described her own selfloathing as a lesbian athlete at the University of
Maryland. She noted the gains that have been made
since then – including the embrace of straight male
allies – but worried about the absence of straight
female allies. “You don’t need to be a lesbian to
feel what it’s like to be called one,” she said, tying
the denigration of one group to that of all others.
The transgender panel offered glimmers of
hope. Karen Morrison, who works on diversity
issues for the National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA), noted that the powerful
governing organization is doggedly addressing
questions like banned substance (testosterone) use.
At younger age levels, trans policies are already in
place. The Washington State high school federation
is very inclusive, and the US Soccer Federation
quickly moved to adopt trans-positive policies as
soon as the issue was raised.
My own panel – on the experiences of LGBT
athletes and coaches – discussed the many ways
in which homophobia affects, defines and limits
everyone in sports, including straight people. For
example, the fear of being called a lesbian prevents
some women from playing sports they would love
to pursue.
Our panel also featured
a controversial presentation.
Eric Anderson, a former
California high school track
coach now conducting
gay sports research at the
University of Winchester,
presented findings on the
changing attitudes of teenage
males in England. He called
the increasing prevalence
of cuddling, bed-sharing,
even kissing among straight
friends a harbinger of things
to come in the U.S., adding
that young athletes are driving
this paradigm shift.
The panel addressing
LGBT sports and the
media offered further hope.
Outsports.com’s Cyd Ziegler said that a tipping
point has been reached: The media now treats
homophobic athletes and coaches much harsher
than gay ones. Athletes and fans, he said, are
nowhere near as homophobic as stereotypes would
have us believe. In fact, journalists’ perception that
gay issues are no longer “a story” may be the biggest
obstacle to more coverage.
The final session examined inclusiveness. Sue
Rankin, an associate professor of education and
former softball coach at Penn State University, said
that a campus climate – institutional, and within the
athletic department and individual teams – goes a
long way toward determining the success of each
team and every athlete. Climate is determined by
many factors, but straight allies play a powerful
role, she said.
The last speaker, former NFL player Wade
Davis surveyed the room, which had emptied out
of students as the day wore on. He cited the reason:
Most straight people don’t care about LGBT issues
– especially hearing about them from people they
really don’t relate to, like those of us on the panel.
The way to get straight people involved, he said,
is to reach them through people they know and
care about: their gay teammates and gay coaches.
It was a sobering message, but it was one
that needed to be delivered. And that it was
delivered in College Station, at Texas A&M
University, was most impressive of all.
Dan Woog is a journalist, educator, soccer coach,
gay activist, and author of the "Jocks" series of
books on gay male athletes. Visit his website at
www.danwoog.com. He can be reached care of
this publication or at [email protected].
25
26 BTL \ May 3, 2012 \ Sports
www.PrideSource.com
Theater / May 3, 2012 / BTL
www.PrideSource.com
'Little Voice,' big dreams at the Ant
BY DONALD V. CALAMIA
Back in the 1990s, one of Metro
Detroit's most highly regarded directors
had a dream – a dream to stage "The Rise
and Fall of Little Voice" by Jim Cartwright.
Life-altering experiences, however, caused
Annette Madias to change directions, thus
putting the project on hold – possibly
forever. Flash forward to 2011 – and guess
what script Planet Ant Theatre is planning
for its 2011-12 season? And what director's
name comes up for the project – thanks to
a long-time friend and colleague?
For those of us old enough to
remember Madias' work, the news of her
pending return to the director's chair became
one of the most anticipated events of the
season. And coupled with the gossip that
began circulating once rehearsals began, one
could only wonder if the production would
live up to the hype that quickly circulated
throughout the community.
So on opening night – surrounded by a
packed house filled with many familiar faces
from throughout the Ant's history – Madias
sat and watched her dreams unfold. The
rest of us were treated to one of the most
memorable nights of theater I've had so far
this season.
Madias, celebrated for her in-depth
character work, has plenty to work with
here – thanks to both the playwright and the
talented cast and crew who accompanied her
on this journey.
Cartwright's story addresses a universal
theme – the search for love – and does
so through a mother and daughter (and
associated friends and newcomers) who are
as opposite as opposite can be. Set in northern
England in the 1980s, Mari (Linda Ramsay)
is an aging, faded beauty whose hunt for a
man knows no limits. Desperate to be taken
care of, Mari will hook up with pretty much
anyone with male genitalia, hoping he'll be
"the one" – and not just "the one for tonight."
(But in the meantime, that'll do.) Her latest
pursuit is Ray Say (Joel Mitchell), a small
time talent agent – about half of whose clients
are strippers. Arriving at Mari's home and
about to get to know each other in a rather
intimate way, Ray hears a voice coming
from upstairs. It belongs to Mari's daughter,
nicknamed LV (Inga R. Wilson) for "Little
Voice," who spends hours listening to and
mimicking the stack of LPs (long playing
albums, for those too young to remember)
that belonged to her deceased and loving
father. A recluse, LV rarely speaks – and
when she does, it's barely above a whisper
and with as few words as possible. Stunned
by her amazing voice, Ray sees a meal ticket.
So too does Mari – but their tickets are on
two different tracks heading in opposite
directions. A plan is hatched – and LV
begrudgingly makes her public singing debut
at a local club. And as you might expect, the
show is called "The Rise and Fall of Little
Voice" for a reason.
Cartwright's blueprint offers Madias
Amy Probst, Joel Mitchell, and Inga Wilson in “The Rise and Fall of Little Voice” at Planet Ant Theatre.
Photo: Kirstin Bianchi
R E V I E W
The Rise and Fall of
Little Voice
Planet Ant Theatre, 2357 Caniff St.,
Hamtramck. Fri-Saturday through
May 19, plus Sunday, May 5 & 12 and
Tuesday, May 8. 138 minutes. $20. 313365-4948. www.PlanetAnt.com
seven opportunities to build interesting and
colorful characters. Madias goes far beyond
that, however, with seven actors who dig
deep into their roles and discover quirky, yet
thoroughly identifiable human beings who
are all searching for what everyone seeks:
acceptance and love by those around them.
That's especially true of Sadie, a
meek soul and Mari's best friend – despite
the outbursts of verbal abuse thrust upon
her by her often-soused neighbor. Amy
Probst's performance is not only sweet and
heartwarming, it's also a master class on how
a single word – in this case, "OK" – can be
delivered multiple ways and mean different
things. Add to that her character-defining facial
expressions and physical movements, and the
result is a fully realized performance that will
stick with you long after the show ends.
Similarly, Sean McGettigan plays Billy,
a young phone company installer who's
almost as shy and quiet as LV – and as equally
fascinated with lights as she is with her
records. McGettigan excels at telegraphing
Billy's feelings with only the slightest of
expression changes. And watch his eyes:
They tell the rest of the story.
Rounding out the cast are Musical
Director Mikey Brown, who plays Scottish
club owner Mr. Boo. Whatever you do, don't
be late: Mr. Boo opens the show performing
in his club – and I doubt you'll ever hear
classics such as "Hot Child in the City" and
"Message in the Bottle" performed quite like
this ever again. Assisting him on bongos in
the second act opening is Dave Davies, who
also plays the phone installer in the first act.
It's the triumvirate of Ramsay, Wilson
and Mitchell that steals the show, however.
Mitchell, who could earn an acting
nomination pretty much every time he
walks onto a stage, is once again a force to
be reckoned with as the sleazy agent. The
second-act comeuppance he gives Mari is
especially powerful – and a scene in LV's
bedroom makes you wonder just how far Ray
would go to get the girl to do as he asks. (He
had me guessing the whole time.)
In total contrast is Wilson's LV, whose
sadness will chill you to the bone. She also
has the difficult task of recreating the unique
vocal qualities of some of the most famous
female singers of the 20th century – and she
does it exceptionally well. Her most revealing
moment comes at the conclusion of LV's
second club performance – with a reaction that
needs no words to convey her inner thoughts.
If there's a standout performance,
though, it belongs to Ramsay. With a perfect
accent that never wavers, Ramsey mines
every nuance possible from Cartwright's
complicated character – and the result is a
performance that's as close to perfection as
we could possibly expect.
The show's technical elements are
generally well done – particularly Kirstin
L. Bianchi's costumes that place the
show firmly in the tacky '80s and Kate
Peckham's sound design.
The production is not without flaws,
however.
A few scenes end a bit too abruptly,
thereby not allowing us to fully absorb the
impact of what we just witnessed before
the lights go down. Also, the creative use
of a flashlight needs to be worked on a
bit, or risk generating more unintended
chuckles as it did on opening night. And
decisions made regarding how to create a
pivotal effect in act two are saved only by
Peckham's sound choice.
But all in all, Madias' return to
the director's chair is something to be
celebrated. And what a fine return it is!
27
28 BTL \ May 3, 2012 \ Happenings
Editor’s Picks
Music & More
“My therapist said I was afraid of
success, which may in fact be true, because
I have a feeling that fufilling my potential
would really cut into my sittin’ around time.”
Comedian Maria Bamford started her
performing arts career in Duluth, Minnesota at
the age of 11 where she starred in the Chester
Park Elementary production of “How the
West Was Really Won!” A short 24 years of
self-discovery and secretarial work later and
just look at her now: one of the country’s most
hilarious and unique comedians.
Bamford has starred in the Comedy
Central series “The Comedians of Comedy,”
and made multiple late-night appearances on
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late
Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Late Night
with Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Kimmel Live. She also is the first female comic to have
two half-hour Comedy Central Presents specials. Her quirky palette of personas and voices
has given her a legendary reputation for absurdity and hilarity.
Maria Bamford performs five shows May 10-12 at the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase, 314 E.
Liberty St. Ann Arbor. For more information, go to www.AAComedy.com or call 734-996-9080.
Art ‘N Around
This month, the Lawrence Street
Gallery will feature a sweeping
retrospective exhibition of member artist
Nora Chapa Mendoza, entitled “My Life
Through My Paintings”. Nora Mendoza
is a former recipient of the “Michigan
Governer’s Arts Award” which named
her artist of the year in 1999. She was
also the recipient of the Wayne County
Cultural Council Award in 2011.
Mendoza studied at the Center for
Creative Studies in Detroit and is well
known for her art relating to women,
landscapes, and abstract hidden forms.
She finds her inspiration in human rights as well as the world around her. Her work is part
of many important collections across the United States, including the main office of Ble
Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan, the General Motors corporate offices, the Ford offices in
Rockeller Plaza, New York, and the collection of Gilberto Cardenas, the second largest
collector of Chicano art.
Mendoza’s art will be on display May 2-26 at the Lawrence Street Gallery, 22620
Woodward Ave., Ferndale. For more information, go to www.LawrenceStreetGallery.com.
Theater
The Ann Arbor Civic Theatre
continues its 2011-12 season with
“Leaving Iowa” by Tom Clue and
Spike Manton. A loving ode to the great
American road trip, “Leaving Iowa”
finds middle-aged writer Don Browning
on a quest to take his father’s ashes to
Don’s childhood home. Upon finding
the family’s home has become a grocery
store, Don traverses Iowa in search of
a place for the ashes. Along the way he
attempts to reconcile his past with the
present. A2CT’s production brings “Leaving Iowa” back home to Michigan, where it received
its world premiere at The Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea.
Performances are at 8 p.m. May 3-5 and 2 p.m. May 6 at the Arthur Miller Theatre
at the Walgreen Drama Center, 1226 Murfin, Ann Arbor. Tickets are $8-$22. For more
information, call 734-971-2229.
PrideSource.com
OUTINGS
Thursday, May 3
Michigan International Women’s Show
10 a.m. Get inspired, feel refreshed and
uncover the secrets to living well, feeling
healthy and having fun at the 17th annual
Michigan International Women’s Show with
shopping, make-up tips, fashion shows,
cooking classes and entertainment. Come
and see the Royal Dresses of Diana, The
People’s Princess! Get inspired and learn
new creative craft ideas with the CHA Craft
Pavilion. Admission: $10 at the door, $9
online. International Women’s Show, 4610
Grand River Ave., Novi. 800-849-0248.
InternationalWomenShow.com
GLBT Professionals Network Happy
Hour 6 p.m. Socialize and beverages with
other LGBT & Allied Professionals from the
Kalamazoo area. KGLRC, 629 Pioneer St.,
Kalamazoo. 269-349-4234. Kglrc.org
Kalamazoo LGBT Professionals
Network 6 p.m. Join the Kalamazoo
LGBT Professionals Network at Zazios
on the Patio, with have light appetizers;
drink specials, with great friends
and conversation. Kalamazoo LGBT
Professionals Network, 100 W. Michigan
Ave., Kalamazoo. Kalamazoolgbtnetwork.
com/events/
Jewish Gay Network Family & Friends
7 p.m. JGN Family & Friends group
meets the first Thursday of every month.
Topics vary from month to month. This
is a gathering of people who have
family or friends who identify as lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender, or who are
questioning their sexual orientation or
gender identity. Offering support, sharing
experiences, and learning about the
issues impacting the LGBTQ and allied
community. Jewish Gay Network, 6600 W.
Maple Road, West Bloomfield. 248-4325661. Jgnmi.org
Friday, May 4
3rd Annual Wine Tasting Fundraiser
6:30 p.m. Join Health Emergency Lifeline
Programs (HELP) in celebrating its 3rd
Annual Wine Tasting Fundraiser. Proceeds
benefit HIV/AIDS services in southeast
Michigan. Tickets: $50 purchasable by
email or phone. Health Emergency Lifeline
Programs, 222 Sherman Dr., Royal Oak.
313-832-3300 ext. 16. HELPoffice.org
Womyn’s Film Night 7 p.m. Film:
“Kate Clinton” Self-professed feminist
comedienne Kate Clinton takes on a heap
of controversial issues in this classic live
performance, touching on lesbianism, sex,
politics and more. Affirmations, 290 W.
Nine Mile Road, Ferndale. 248-398-7105.
Goaffirmations.org
S.P.I.C.E. 7:30 p.m. S.P.I.C.E. works
to empower and enhance the lives of
women of color in the Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgendered and Questioning
community in Metropolitan Detroit,
by eradicating the health, social and
educational barriers facing them. Meetings
are on the first Friday of every month.
S.P.I.C.E., 290 W. 9 Mile Road, Ferndale.
248-398-7105. Goaffirmations.org
Saturday, May 5
Sunday, May 6
Pride Olympics 3 p.m. Join Kalamazoo
Pride in Underwear 500, Drag race and
pie/hot dog eating contests. Tickets:
$5. Kalamazoo Gay and Lesbian
Resource Center, 411 N Westnedge Ave.,
Kalamazoo. Kglrc.org/pride
GOAL Book Club 4 p.m. Get Out and Live’s
LGBT Book Club. Meets the first Sunday of
every month at Five15 in Royal Oak. Get
Out And Live!, 515 S Washington, Royal
Oak. 248-515-2551. GetOutAndLive.me
Conversation Station 6 p.m. LGBTQI
and allies 25 and over. Join GOAL each
week for discussion, food and fun. New
topic each week. This week’s topic:
What has been your greatest challenge
in life? Get Out And Live!, 714 S.
Washington St., Royal Oak. 248-9814227. [email protected]
GetOutAndLive.me
Transgender Lansing Group Meeting
6 p.m. Lansing chapter of Transgender
Michigan meets the first Sunday of every
month from 6-9 p.m. Transgender Lansing,
469 N. Hagadorn, East Lansing. Facebook.
com/groups/56386266994/
Monday, May 7
PFLAG Richland 7 p.m. Meets the first
Monday of every month, except Labor Day.
PFLAG, 9400 East D Ave., Richland. 269377-9401. [email protected]
Wednesday, May 9
Foster Care & Adoption Informational/
Orientation Meeting 9 a.m. Family
Service & Children’s Aid invites you
to come and learn more about foster
care and/or adoption. Informational/
Orientation meetings are held the second
Wednesday of every month. Family Service
and Children’s Aid, 330 W. Michigan
Ave., Jackson. 517-787-7920 ext. 54.
Facebook.com/FamilyServiceChildrensAid
Coping with Disabilities 1 p.m. For
anyone with a mental or physical
illness that makes every-day life more
challenging. Discussions about LGBT
friendly doctors, counseling, health
benefits, and activities. Every second and
fourth Wednesday. Affirmations, 290 W.
Nine Mile Road, Ferndale. 248-398-7105.
Goaffirmations.org
Wild Wednesday 5 p.m. A supportive
LGBT youth group that meets every
Wednesday. All youth are welcome.
Dedicated to Make a Change, L3C, 319
Braun Ct., Ann Arbor. 734-657-1792.
[email protected]
17th Annual Dining for Dollars 6 p.m.
Over one hundred supporters from
around the community attend this highly
anticipated event, which includes a silent
auction, strolling raffle, and fabulous
dinner prepared by none other than Chef
Alex Young winner of Best Chef in the
Great Lakes Region from the James Beard
Foundation. Tickets: $100-300. HIV/AIDS
Resource Center, 2501 Jackson Ave., Ann
Arbor. 800-578-2300. Hivaidsresource.org
TransCend 6:30 p.m. Open to persons
18 and older. Younger are welcome with
parent or guardian permission. Kalamazoo
Gay Lesbian Resource Center, 629 Pioneer
Street, Kalamazoo. 269-349-4234.
[email protected] kglrc.org
Pastafest Fundraiser 5 p.m. Detroit
Together Men’s Chorus’ annual Pasta
fundraiser. Tickets: $15 per person,
children under eight free. Fundraiser
includes chorus performances at 6, 7
and 8 p.m. and a silent auction. Detroit
Together Men’s Chorus, 143 Albany,
Ferndale. 248-544-3872. Dtmc.org
Network Men’s Group 7 p.m. A support
group for bisexual, gay, and coming out men,
21 and up. Single or partnered are invited to
join the group. Weekly discussion topics and
issues. The Network, 345 Atlas Ave., Grand
Rapids. 616-458-3511. Grlgbt.org
Lesbian Euchre 6 p.m. No partner needed.
For beginners to experienced. Come join
the fun and meet new friends. Affirmations,
290 W. 9 Mile Road, Ferndale. 586-3035977. [email protected]
Statewide Preservation Conference 9
a.m. Each spring, the Network sponsors
the states largest annual statewide
preservation conference to provide
training and networking opportunities
Thursday, May 10
geared to both beginners and seasoned
preservationists. In addition to offering
sessions crammed with the latest news
and information from around the state,
the conference is known for its keynote
speakers, festive evening activities,
and annual auction of Michigan items
ranging from overnights at historic
bed-and-breakfasts, to antiques, books,
and gourmet delights. Michigan Historic
Preservation Network, 755 S. Saginaw St,
Flint. Mhpn.org/annualconference.html
Legal Referral Services 4 p.m. Weekly
advocacy program and referral services
provided by AJ Skillman. AJ Skillman P.C.,
290 W. 9 Mile Road, Ferndale. 248-3987105. Goaffirmations.org
KGLRC Youth Group 7 p.m. The Resource
Center Youth Group helps young people,
ages 13 to 18, who are trying to come to
terms with their sexuality in a sometimesunaccepting society. Meets every Thursday
from 7-9 p.m. at a confidential location. To
attend, call or e-mail the resource center.
Kalamazoo Gay and Lesbian Resource
Center, 629 Pioneer, Kalamazoo. 269-3494234. Kglrc.org
Friday, May 11
Black Lesbians Fifty and Over 6 p.m. The
new support/discussion group for Black
lesbians who are gracefully transitioning
into their ‘50s and beyond. Meetings cover
topics relevant to the aging process and
include issues around self-care, family,
romantic relationships, travel, retirement,
eldership in the Black community, etc.
and are potluck. . Black Lesbians Fifty and
Over, RSVP to receive address, Detroit.
313-978-7918.
Older Lesbians Organizing 7 p.m.
Provides older Lesbians with the chance to
meet like minded women in their common
struggles, to share mutual interests and
to play and work together. Meets the 2nd
Friday of every month. Older Lesbians
Organizing, 319 Braun Court, Ann Arbor.
734-678-2478. [email protected]
Womyn’s Film Night 7 p.m. Film:
“Ghosted” A mysterious love story between
Hamburg and Taipeh. The unsolved murder
of her young Taiwanese lover Ai-ling
leaves the Hamburg artist Sophie Schmitt
completely disoriented. Affirmations, 290
W. Nine Mile, Ferndale. 248-398-7105.
Goaffirmations.org
Drag Queen Bingo 8 p.m. “This ain’t your
grandma’s bingo.” Hosts Sabin, Trixie
Deluxxe or September Murphy. Open to all
18+. Refreshments and bingo food fare.
Reservations available by phone. Five15,
515 S. Washington, Royal Oak. 248-5152551. Five15.net
Saturday, May 12
Multi-Party LGBT Garage Sale
Fundraiser 9 a.m. Sponsored by Trillium
Real Estate, Jim Toy Center, and Wild
Wednesdays Youth. “Gently used items”
may be donated to benefit the Jim Toy
Center (no TVs or computer components,
please). Drop off hours are 9 a.m.- 5p.m.
May 5 and 6. Donations also accepted
during open hours at Common Language
Books. Jim Toy Community Center, 319
Braun Ct., Ann Arbor. 734-678-2478.
Jimytoycenter.org
Spring Into Health Festival 10 a.m. A safe
and fun event for our community with all
the proceeds going to American Cancer
Society via Relay for Life. Relay for Life,
641 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale. 248298-3100. Claddaghchiropractic.com
Crossroads 6 p.m. The Detroit areas
premier social group for the transgendered
and their friends will hold its monthly
gathering. Program will be announced online.
Crossroads, 290 W. 9 Mile Road, Ferndale.
586-738-4660. CrossroadsMi.com
Motor City Bears 7 p.m. Monthly meeting
for on every second Saturday. Motor City
Happenings / May 3, 2012 / BTL 29
www.PrideSource.com
For expanded listings & to add a listing, visit our website
Bears, 290 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale.
248-398-7105. Goaffirmations.org
Gay Pride Cosmo Bowl 8:30 p.m. Flint
Gay Pride hosts a bowling fundraiser at
B’s. Tickets cost $20 for games, shoes and
pizza. Wellness AIDS Services Inc., 750 S.
Center Road, Flint. 810-232-0888 ext. 20.
[email protected] Facebook.
com/events/325827780814764/
Sunday, May 13
Agape Spirit Life Ministry Service 1
p.m. Potluck style event. Bring “The 12
steps of Forgiveness by Paul Ferrini”
and a Bible to worship in a diverse,
welcoming community. Participants will
use various books along with the Bible
to gain practical tools for daily living as
we worship. Every second and fourth
Sunday. Agape Spirit Life Ministries, 290
W. 9 Mile Road, Ferndale. 248-398-7105.
Goaffirmations.org
Lezread 4 p.m. Ann Arbors book group
for Lesbians. Meets the last Sunday of
every month. Lezread, 319 Braun Court,
Ann Arbor. 734-678-2478. lezread@
yahoo.com
Rainbow Book Club 4:30 p.m. Book
club dedicated to reading and discussing
classic and contemporary lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, and queer literature.
Meeting since before 1998, every second
Sunday of the month. Rainbow Book Club,
319 Braun Court, Ann Arbor. 734-6782478. [email protected]
Conversation Station 6 p.m. LGBTQI
(and allies) 25 and over, join GOAL each
week for discussion, food and fun. This
week’s topic: If you could be invisible for
a day, what would you do? Get Out And
Live!, 714 S. Washington St., Royal Oak.
248-981-4227. MarciLWilliams@yahoo.
com GetOutAndLive.me
MUSIC &
MORE
CLASSICAL
Detroit Chamber Wind & Strings “Voices
of the Baroque” The concert will feature
DCWS string musicians as well as guest
artists soprano Jennifer Ellis Kampani, Kiri
Tollaksen on cornetto, and Glenn Miller on
harpsichord. Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian
Church, 1340 West Long Lake Road,
Bloomfield Hills. 7:30 p.m. May 12. 248559-2095. DetroitChamberWinds.org
Fort Street Chorale and Chamber
Orchestra “Antonin Dvorak’s Stabat
Mater” The Fort Street Chorale and
Chamber Orchestra will present Antonin
Dvorak’s Stabat Mater. The performance
will be conducted by Richard Householder
and will feature soloists Peggy Dwyer,
soprano Dorothy Duensing, alto Pablo
Bustos, tenor and Steven Henrikson,
bass. Dvorak’s Stabat Mater, based on
an ancient Roman Catholic devotional
poem relating Mary’s grief as she stands
at the foot of the cross, is considered the
most symphonic of the Stabat Maters
performed today. Fort Street Presbyterian
Church, 631 W. Fort St., Detroit. 2 p.m.
May 6. 313-961-4533. Fortstreet.org
Kerrytown Concert House “Etienne
Charles Quintet” For his Jazz Standard
debut as a leader, Etienne Charles will
spotlight the music of his latest album
Kaiso, which features guest appearances
by pianist Monty Alexander and calypso
legend Lord Superior. Tickets: $10-30.
Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N Fourth
Ave., Ann Arbor. 8 p.m. May 4. 734-7692999. Kerrytownconcerthouse.com
Kerrytown Concert House “Cambridge
Piano Quartet” An evening of music
presented by the Cambridge Piano
Quartet, currently in residence at
the Cambridge International String
Academy. Tickets: $5-25. Kerrytown
Concert House, 415 N Fourth Ave., Ann
Arbor. 8 p.m. May 7. 734-769-2999.
Kerrytownconcerthouse.com
COMEDY
Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase “Maria
Bamford” What comedian starred in the
Comedy Central series, “The Comedians
of Comedy Tour” is in Variety’s top ten
comics to watch, has been the talk of
Montreal, Edinburgh, Aspen, Kilkenny and
Melbourne Comedy Festivals and was
voted by Comedy Central viewers as one
of their Top Ten Favorite Comics? Maria
Bamford. Tickets: $15-20. Ann Arbor
Comedy Showcase, 314 E. Liberty St., Ann
Arbor. May 10-May 12. 734-996-9080.
AnnArborComedyShowcase.com
Royal Oak Music Theatre “Aziz Ansari”
Live performance from comedian of NBC’s
“Parks and Recreation” at the Royal Oak
Music Theatre. Tickets: $35 advance, $40
door. Royal Oak Music Theatre, 318 W.
Fourth St., Royal Oak. 6 p.m. May 5. 248399-2980. Royaloakmusictheatre.com
CONCERTS
Alison Lewis, Audra Kubat, Katie Grace,
Ellen Keyt and Kelly Zullo “Detroit
Women in Music: an Acoustic Showcase”
Alison Lewis (String of Ponies) presents
a talent-packed showcase featuring
fellow Detroit artists Audra Kubat, Katie
Grace, Ellen Keyt and guest touring artist
Kelly Zullo. No cover however donations
appreciated. St. Ceces Whiskey Bar, 1426
Bagley St., Detroit. 9 p.m. May 4.
Ellen Keyt “Ellen Keyt’s Detroit Meadows
CD Release show” Detroit acoustic
singer-songwriter Ellen Keyt celebrates
the release of Detroit Meadows, her
first CD in over ten years at the Corner
Brewery Lounge in Ypsilanti. $12 cover.
Corner Brewery, 720 Norris St., Yspilanti.
2:30 p.m. May 6. 734-480-2739.
Brownpapertickets.com/event/238533
Fox Theatre “Kid Rock & The Detroit
Symphony” Detroit Symphony Orchestra
performs with Kid Rock in a unique
concert sure to sell out. Fox Theatre, 2211
Woodward Ave., Detroit. 7 p.m. May 12.
313-471-6611. Dso.org
Kerrytown Concert House “Dave Sharp’s
Secret Seven” After taking a musical
journey to Africa on the KCH stage in the
fall, Dave Sharp and the Secret Seven
return to explore the music of the Middle
East. Dave Sharp’s Secret Seven is world
jazz for the jazz world, transcending
musical, national and ethnic boundaries
by re-interpreting, not fusing, influences
from Africa, Asia, the Latin world, Blue
Note Jazz and that other planet, New
Orleans. Tickets: $5-25. Kerrytown
Concert House, 415 N Fourth Ave., Ann
Arbor. 8 p.m. May 11. 734-769-2999.
Kerrytownconcerthouse.com
Kerrytown Concert House “Michael
Feinstein Great American Songbook
Competition” Promising high school
vocalists from around the region will
perform songs from Broadway, Hollywood
musicals and the Tin Pan Alley era,
competing for a chance to sing in NYC
with Michael Feinstein himself. Ten
finalists will be announced at the end of
the evening. Tickets: $10-30. Kerrytown
Concert House, 415 N Fourth Ave., Ann
Arbor. 7 p.m. May 12. 734-769-2999.
Kerrytownconcerthouse.com
Lansing Symphony Orchestra
“MasterWorks 6: Fantasies and Fairy
Tales” Ravel wrote his Mother Goose
Suite as a piano duet and later set the
work for strings, winds, and percussion.
Stravinsky’s Petrouchka is also a fairy
tale but of the Russian variety. Originally a
ballet, this piece colorfully tells the story
of a puppet that comes to life. Wharton
Center for the Performing Arts at Michigan
State University, Michigan State University,
East Lansing. 8 p.m. May 10. 517-3531982 ext. 14. Lansingsymphony.org
Assassins $10-18. Great Escape Stage
Company, 155 W. Michigan Ave., Marshall.
Through May 6. 269-781-2700. www.
GreatEscapeStageCompany.com
Olympia Entertainment “An Evening with
Jeffrey Osborne” Tickets: $39-41. Sound
Board Theater, 2901 Grand River Ave,
Detroit. 8 p.m. May 10. 866-752-9622.
Olympiaentertainment.com
Copenhagen $10-12. Riverwalk Theatre,
228 Museum Dr., Lansing. May 4 - 13.
517-482-5700. www.Riverwalktheatre.
com
The Acorn Theater “Hitsville Revue”
This “Las Vegas style show” will bring
back the nostalgic music of the ‘60s &
‘70s. This live Motown spectacular is a
tribute to your favorite groups and will
include classic hits by The Temptations,
The Supremes, Smokey Robinson, The
Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder,
Martha and the Vandellas, Tina Turner, The
Marvelettes and many more. Tickets: $2530. The Acorn Theater, 107 Generations
Dr., Three Oaks. 8 p.m. May 4. 269-7563879. Acorntheater.com
The Acorn Theater “Carolina Chocolate
Drops” In 2005 three young black
musicians, Dom Flemons, Rhiannon
Giddens, and Justin Robinson, made the
commitment to travel to Mebane, NC
every Thursday night to sit in the home
of old-time fiddler Joe Thompson, for a
musical jam session. Robinson was in his
‘80s, a black fiddler with a short bowing
style that he inherited from generations
of family musicians; he had learned to
play a wide range of tunes while sitting
on his back porch with other players
after a day of fieldwork. Now he was
passing these same lessons on to a new
generation of musicians. Tickets: $30.
The Acorn Theater, 107 Generations Dr.,
Three Oaks. 8 p.m. May 7. 269-756-3879.
Acorntheater.com
The Ark “Sarah Jarosz” Tickets: $15. The
Ark, 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor. 8 p.m.
May 12. 734-761-1818. theark.org
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels $12-19.
Kalamazoo Civic Theatre at Civic
Auditorium, 329 S. Park St., Kalamazoo.
May 11 - 27. 69-343-1313. www.
Kazoocivic.com
Leaving Iowa $8-$22. Ann Arbor Civic
Theatre at Arthur Miller Theatre at the
Walgreen Drama Center, 1226 Murfin, Ann
Arbor. May 3 - 6. 734-971-2229. www.
a2ct.org
Little Shop of Horrors $16-18. Farmington
Players, 32332 W. 12 Mile Road,
Farmington Hills. Through May 19. 248553-2955. www.farmingtonplayers.org
The Odd Couple $23; $12 show only.
Thebes Players at Larkin’s, 301 W. Main
St., Lowell. Through May 12. 616-8978545. www.lowellartscouncil.org
Mother Superior’s Habits $14-16.
Broadway Onstage, 21517 Kelly Road,
Eastpointe. Through May 12. 586-7716333. www.broadwayonstage.com
The Producers $18. The Players Guild
of Dearborn, 21730 Madison, Dearborn.
Through May 20. 313-561-TKTS. www.
PlayersGuildofDearborn.org
Now That I Can Dance - Motown 1962
$20. Mosaic Youth Theatre at Detroit Film
Theatre, 5200 Woodward Ave. (John R.
entrance), Detroit. May 11 - 20. 313-8726910. www.mosaicdetroit.org
OTHER
Titanic - The Musical $30. Stagecrafters
at Baldwin Theatre, 415 S. Lafayette Ave.,
Royal Oak. Through May 6. 248-5416430. www.Stagecrafters.org
THEATER
33 Variations $12-23. Kalamazoo Civic
Theatre at Parish Theatre, 426 S. Park St.,
Kalamazoo. Through May 5. 269-3431313. www.Kazoocivic.com
A Little Work $10-12. SRO Productions at
The Burgh, 26060 Berg Road, Southfield.
May 4 - 20. 248-796-4645. www.
SROTheater.org
Major Barbara $12-30. Hilberry Theatre,
4743 Cass Ave., Detroit. Through May 5.
313-577-2972. www.hilberry.com
Merman’s Apprentice $25. The Acorn
Theater, 107 Generations Dr., Three Oaks.
May 11 - 13. 269-756-3879. www.
acorntheater.com
The Secret Garden $19. Village Players,
34660 Woodward Ave., Birmingham.
May 11 - 27. 248-644-2075. www.
birminghamvillageplayers.com
CIVIC/COMMUNITY THEATER
Mahogany Dreams $15. Mahogany
Dreams, Charles H. Wright Museum of
African American History, 315 E. Warren
Ave., Detroit. May 10 - 12. 202-4809469. Mahoganydreamsstageplay.
eventbrite.com
Ruined $15. Peppermint Creek Theatre
Company at Curry Street Theatre, 6025
Curry Lane, Lansing. Through May 6. 517372-0945. www.PeppermintCreek.org
The Ark “David Olney with Sergio Webb”
Tickets: $15. The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann
Arbor. 8 p.m. May 7. 734-761-1800.
TheArk.org
Zumba Fitness with Chandra Floyd
“Zumba Fitness in Midtown Detroit”
De-stress and party yourself into shape
with this calorie scorching, exhilarating,
and easy to follow workout with Latin
and international music. Admission:
$8 per class. International Institute,
111 E. Kirby, Detroit. April 25-Sep.
26. 313-587-6203. Facebook.com/
ZumbaWithChandraMI
M. Butterfly Previews May 2,3 5. $36-43.
The Jewish Ensemble Theatre Company
at Aaron DeRoy Theatre, 6600 W. Maple
Road, West Bloomfield. May 2 - 27. 248788-2900. www.JETTheatre.org
May Festival of Readings Every Tuesday
evening. $7 for most readings; “8” is
free, $15 for “A Connemara Ceili.” Flint
Youth Theatre, 1220 E. Kearsley St.,
Flint. May 1 - 29. 810-237-1530. www.
FlintYouthTheatre.org
The Ark “Steppin’ In It” Tickets: $15. The
Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor. 8 p.m. May 8.
734-761-1800. Theark.org
Penn Theatre “Pillow Talk” 1959 film
for Penn Theatre’s May classics. Tickets:
$3. Penn Theatre, 760 Penniman Ave.,
Plymouth. 6:30 p.m. May 3. 734-4530870. PennTheatre.com
I Pagliacci $29-121. Michigan Opera
Theatre at Detroit Opera House, 1526
Broadway St., Detroit. May 12 - 20. 313237-SING. www.michiganopera.org
Palmer Park A 2nd Stage production.
$14-$16. Stagecrafters at Baldwin
Theatre, 415 S. Lafayette, Royal Oak.
May 11 - 20. 248-541-6430. www.
stagecrafters.org
The Red Velvet Cake War Dinner served
one-hour before showtime. $20-33.
Starlight Dinner Theatre at Waverly East
Cafetorium, 3131 W. Michigan Ave.,
Lansing. May 11 - 19. 517-243-6040.
www.starlightdinnertheatre.com
DJ Lena “Electronic Thursdays” Gay night
at Shelby’s, a neighborhood bar with a
history of being a Disco Bar in the 70s and
80s. Join DJ Lena and “invoke the spirits
of boogie and down!” No cover. Shelby’s,
15301 W. Warren Ave., Dearborn. March
22-July 26. 313-846-9388. Djsirlena.
com/edm
Theatre, 221 Farmers Alley, Kalamazoo.
Through May 6. 269-343-2727. www.
farmersalleytheatre.com
PROFESSIONAL
A Few Good Men $20. What A Do Theatre,
4071 W. Dickman Road, Springfield. May 4
- 19. 269-282-1953. www.WhatADo.org
Avenue Q $25. The Box Theater, 51 N.
Walnut, Mount Clemens. May 4 - 19. 586954-2311. www.theboxtheater.com
Blue Man Group $39-89. Fisher
Theatre, 3011 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit.
May 1 - 13. 313-872-1000. www.
BroadwayInDetroit.com
Boogie Stomp! $25. Stormfield Theatre,
201 Morgan Lane, Lansing. May 10 - 20.
517-351-6555. www.stormfieldtheatre.org
Dead and Buried $17-20. Detroit
Repertory Theatre, 13103 Woodrow
Wilson, Detroit. Through May 20. 313868-1347. www.detroitreptheatre.com
Endgame By donation. The Abreact
Performance Space, 1301 W. Lafayette
#113, Detroit. Through May 5. 313-4541542. www.theabreact.com
Ernie $20-25. City Theatre, 2301
Woodward Ave., Detroit. Through
July 29. 1-800-745-3000. www.
olympiaentertainment.com
From My Hometown $30-39. Meadow
Brook Theatre, 2200 N. Squirrel Road,
Rochester. Through May 13. 248-3703300. www.mbtheatre.com
God of Carnage $23-27. Farmers Alley
Raven’s Seed $20. Matrix Theatre
Company, 2730 Bagley, Detroit.
Through May 20. 313-967-0599. www.
MatrixTheatre.org
Red $22-41. Performance Network
Theatre, 120 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor.
Through May 26. 734-663-0681. www.
PerformanceNetwork.org
Spring Awakening $15. The AKT Theatre
Project at The Wyandotte Arts Center, 81
Chestnut Road, Wyandotte. Through May
5. 734-258-8370. www.AKTtheatre.com
The 4th Annual Kalamazoo Improv
Festival $25. Crawlspace Theatre
Productions at Farmers Alley Theatre, 221
Farmers Alley, Kalamazoo. May 10 - 12. 269599-7390. www.crawlspacetheatre.com
The Altruists $15-18. Magenta Giraffe
Theatre Company at The Furniture Factory,
4126 Third St., Detroit. May 4 - 26. 313408-7269. www.Magentagiraffe.org
The Cricket in Times Square $10-15.
Wild Swan Theater at Towsley Auditorium,
Morris Lawrence Building, Washtenaw
Community College. May 3 - 6. 734-9950530. www.WildSwanTheater.org
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice $20.
Planet Ant Theatre, 2357 Caniff St.,
Hamtramck. Through May 19. 313-3654948. www.PlanetAnt.com
The Tempest Project $10-15. The
New Theatre Project, Mix Studio
Theater, 130 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti.
May 8 - 27. 734-645-9776. www.
thenewtheatreproject.org
White Buffalo $17.50-40. The Purple
Rose Theatre Company, 137 Park St.,
Chelsea. Through June 2. 734-4337673. www.purplerosetheatre.org
ART‘N’
AROUND
Ann Arbor Art Center “the PRINT”
The Ann Arbor Art Center’s annual
exhibition the Print invites artists to
showcase experimental print techniques
encompassing those of contemporary
standards as well as those of time
honored tradition. Ann Arbor Art Center,
117 W. Liberty St., Ann Arbor. April 1-June
10. 734-995-8004. Annarborartcenter.org
Epiphany Glass Studio “Epiphany Glass
Spring Open Studio” Spring open studio
with live glassblowing demonstrations by
master glassblower April Wagner. Looking
for a Mother’s Day gift-make a glass
flower for Mom with the artist for $50.
Epiphany Glass Studio, 770 Orchard Lake
Road, Pontiac. 12 p.m. May 5. 248-7453786. Epiphanyglass.com
Flint Institute of Arts “Abstract
Expressionism” Abstract expressionism
was the first specifically American art
movement to achieve international
influence and put New York City as
the new center of the western art
world. Drawing on works from the
FIA’s permanent collection, along with
important loans from regional museums,
the exhibition surveys the art movement
from its origins in the post World War II
period to the latest developments in the
21st century. Flint Institute of Arts, 1120 E.
Kearsley, Flint. May 5-Aug. 19. 810-2341695. Flintarts.org
Greenfield Village “Day Out with Thomas:
Mystery on the Rails Tour 2012” Help
Thomas the Tank Engine find the clues
and solve the mystery! Our favorite No. 1
engine is set to roll into Greenfield Village
for the Day Out with Thomas: Mystery On
The Rails Tour 2012. All little engineers
and their families are invited to take a ride
on Thomas and participate in fun Thomasthemed activities. Admission: $11.75.
Greenfield Village, 20900 Oakwood Blvd.,
Dearborn. April 28-May 13. 800-8355237. TheHenryFord.org
Lawrence Street Gallery “Nora
Mendoza-My Life Through My Paintings”
A sweeping retrospective exhibition of
member artist Nora Chapa Mendoza,
former recipient of the “Michigan
Governor’s Arts Award” which named her
artist of the year in 1999. Lawrence Street
Gallery, 22620 Woodward Ave., Suite A,
Ferndale. May 2-May 26. 248-544-0394.
Lawrencestreetgallery.com
The Detroit Institute of Arts “Once
Upon a Time: Prints and Drawings that
Tell Stories” Telling stories through prints
and drawings. Includes selections from
familiar series, portfolios and books, as
well as several examples that have rarely
or never been seen. Detroit Institute of
Arts, 2100 Woodward, Detroit. Dec. 18May 13. 313-833-7900. Dia.org
University of Michigan Museum of Art
“Peter Campus: Kiva” Pioneer of video
art who experimented with the medium
in the 1970s alongside other notable
artists Bill Viola, Bruce Nauman, and Joan
Jonas. Campus created both large-scale
projections and a series of little-seen
installation works that employ live video
feeds, of which Kiva (1971) is one.
University Of Michigan Museum Of Art,
525 S. State St., Ann Arbor. May 5-Aug.
12. 734-763-4186. Umma.umich.edu
30 BTL \ May 3, 2012 \ Rear View
www.PrideSource.com
Costanza on Lesbians
Meet
Johnny
H
ere’s Johnny! How can you resist that face? Johnny is a 2-year-old
Beagle who is fully grown at 29 pounds. A champion fetcher and
snuggler, Johnny will seek out attention wherever he can get it! And
of course, as a Beagle, he just loves to use his nose to investigate his
surroundings. The adoption fee includes sterilization, age-appropriate
vaccinations, the MHS Adoption Guarantee and much more!
For more information, please visit or call the MHS Rochester Hills Center
for Animal Care at (248) 852-7420 and provide the pet ID number, 713080.
Photo by Heidi Waeschle-Gabel.
Across
1 Change positions, in volleyball
7 Shakespeare’s Ariel, for one
13 What “bottom’s up” is to “pub’s
motto”
15 “The Double Man” author
16 Start of an explanation
18 Betty of cartoons
19 In a tough spot
20 If that fails
21 Atlas blow-up
23 Minn. neighbor
24 Brian of figure skating
25 Carpenter’s tool
28 More of the explanation
32 Costanza, who explained why
lesbians fascinate straight guys
37 Sheltered on the sea
38 More of the explanation
42 Vichyssoise veggie
43 Gay horror writer Michael
44 Birds at sea
45 Hump on the beach
46 Italian sauce
48 More of the explanation
49 Boneheads
50 “___ off to see the wizard”
52 A word from Pilate
53 End of the explanation
58 She danced with Whoopi in “Ghost”
59 Jewish scripture
60 Penetrating reed
62 Neighbor of Pakistan
63 Top
64 Spread it on your muffin
65 Place to walk, for short
66 Lord of La Mancha
67 Diminished by
Down
1 Steven Greenberg, for one
2 There’s a single runner
3 Meat-filled treats
4 With a wide-open mouth
5 Broadway bio
6 Right on a map
7 Where you stack wood or spank
8 Friday’s check
9 Less polite
10 Clay Aiken and others
11 In need of a backrub
12 Return key on a PC
14 Producer Neil
15 Puts an edge on
17 Mind the bar
22 Day before Fri.
24 Be in the hole
26 “... long ___ both shall live?”
27 Is unlike Dorian Gray
28 Not remain straight
29 Skin moisturizer
30 Rachel Maddow, for one
31 About to go down, perhaps
33 Opposite of avant-garde
34 Not for one time only (var.)
35 Cause of homosexuality, according
to some
36 Just makes, with “out”
39 WWW address ending
40 Game with “Skip” cards
41 Col. Grethe Cammermeyer, today
47 Rough stuff underground
49 Thespians do it
51 Rob of “Melrose Place”
52 Anesthesia of old
53 Hatcher of “Desperate Housewives”
54 Top or bottom of the world
55 St. Patrick’s land
56 Caesar opponent
57 Lower digits
58 Proust’s ten
61 Shooter in Bruce Weber’s field
Solution on page 32
Rear View / May 3, 2012 / BTL
www.PrideSource.com
Horoscopes
Get wild and crazy, Capricorn!
BY JACK FERTIG
Mercury conjoining Eris triggers battles of wits and verbal oneupmanship. That can easily lead to silly arguments. Fortunately,
Venus is in Gemini sextile to both, bringing charm and affection to
help keep it to playful banter.
ARIES (March 20 – April
19): Mercury in your sign may
have you convinced that you’re
a silver-tongued wit, but he’s
likelier making you a motormouthed annoyance. Write
down what you have to say and
think about it carefully before
you say it.
TAURUS (April 20 – May
20): Yes, darling, you are truly
fabulous, but true fabulosity
speaks for itself. Pushing it
too hard is easy to do and only
reveals your own doubts. That
nagging voice inside your
head may be pointing you to
something you need to check
out.
GEMINI (May 21- June
20): Trying to be the shining
light among your friends may
generate more heat than light.
Give it a rest and just be your
own sweet self. Your partner’s
criticism is worth listening to.
If you must argue, at least listen!
CANCER (June 21- July 22):
Sharp awareness of the financial
future can too easily degenerate
into useless worries. Real as
your problems may be, it’s too
easy to imagine them as worse
than they are. If you can’t take
positive steps at least focus on
constructive ideas.
LEO (July 23 – August 22):
Normally you love attention, but
now you are feeling conspicuous
and a bit disconnected. Feeling
unsettled can make you
argumentative. Relax. Do what
you do best and let your work
speak for itself.
VIRGO (August 23 –
September 22): Talking filth
with your sweetie could get you
slapped, but is it a good slap or
a bad one? Getting kinky can
invigorate a relationship, but be
very clear on limits, safety and
clear communications. Harder
and heavier does not always
equal better.
LIBRA (September 23
– October 22): If you’re
wondering if a doctor should
look at that the answer is yes.
Building a real partnership
includes hard work and hard
conversations. If your mate is
coming off as too competitive
ask yourself what you’re doing
to provoke that.
SCORPIO (October 23 –
November 21): Those problems
you see at work probably don’t
need your solutions. Discuss
them gently, inquiringly with
others concerned. Don’t insist.
If your baby’s best attribute is
sexiness you need to grow up
and move on, but not necessarily
today.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22
– December 20): Collaborative
efforts will shine, but they
do require effort. Share your
best ideas gently and credit
enthusiastically. Promoting your
own creative efforts is OK, too,
but better if your partner does
that for you.
CAPRICORN (December
21 – January 19): Get wild
and crazy. You need a release.
Focusing that energy into a
creative project is best, but don’t
let that hang you up. Not a good
time to take up an extreme sport,
but that leaves a lot of room.
AQUARIUS (January 20 –
February 18): Your wicked
mouth is like a super-power.
Will you use it for self-indulgent
entertainment or for the public
good? Bitchy acerbic wit needs
a victim, but that’s the one
thing that politicians are always
good for.
PISCES (February 19 – March
19): Don’t let financial news
throw you into a tizzy. Calm,
discipline and cooperation will
help you find solutions. Know
who’s on your side and who
you can confide in. Sudden
inspirations aren’t reliable, but
can point you to ideas that are.
Jack Fertig, can be reached
at 415-864-8302, through his
website at www.starjack.com,
and by email at QScopes@
qsyndicate.com.
Visit our website!
http://www.pridesource.com
Add our fan page!
Search: “Between The Lines Newspaper”
Follow us!
@YourBTL
31
32 BTL \ May 3, 2012 \ Rear View
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Classifieds
101-ANNOUNCEMNTS
LGBT AA MEETINGS
Ann Arbor-Friday
7:30 pm, St. Andrews Episcopal
Church Gay AA, 306 N. Division
St. Closed/Discussion.
Bloomfield HillsThursday
7:00 pm ,Sobriety in The Hills
Gay AA, Kirk in The Hills Church,
1340 W. Long Lake Rd. Closed/
Discussion.
Detroit-Tuesday / Friday
8:00 pm, Downtown Gay AA, Fort
Street Presbyterian Church, 631
West Fort St. Closed/Discussion
(Open 1st Friday of every month).
Farmington HillsMonday
8:00 pm, Suburban West Gay
AA, Universalist Unitarian Church,
25301 Halstead (Between 10
& 11 Mile Roads) Closed /
Discussion.
Ferndale-Monday /
Wednesday / Friday
11:30 a.m., Brown Baggers Gay
AA, Affirmations, 290 West 9 Mile
Rd. Closed/Discussion.
Ferndale-Wednesday
8 p.m., Diversity Wednesday Gay
AA, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church,
540 W. Lewiston @ Livernois.
Closed/Discussion.
Ferndale-Saturday
1 p.m. Brown Baggers Gay AA,
Affirmations, 290 West 9 Mile Rd.
Closed/Discussion.
8 p.m. Go After Your Sobriety Gay
AA, Drayton Ave Presbyterian
Church, 2441 Pinecrest. Closed/
Discussion.
Livonia-Friday
8 p.m., West Side Story’s Gay AA,
Providence Medical Center, 7 Mile
& Newburgh. Closed/Discussion.
205 REAL ESTATE HOMES FOR RENT
428 PROF. SERVICES
- MASSAGE
Storybook Cottage
GROUP MASSAGE
On Lichfield in desirable Greenacres near Ferndale. Three bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths, old brick
exterior, ornate plasterwork, new
wood floors, working fireplace,
paneled basement. Reliable tenants only. $950 per month plus
gas and electric Claire 313 3411872, 330-5822.
- For Gay and Bisexual Men.
Learn some massage techniques
and meet others in a safe and
caring environment. Tuesdays and
Saturdays at 8 p.m. Thursdays at
2 p.m. $10 per session. 209
West Kingsley in downtown Ann
Arbor. (734) 662-6282 or email
[email protected]. http://
www.trymassage.com
211 REAL ESTATE HOMES TO SHARE
604 TRAVEL GENERAL
Nice Home-Share
Opportunity
For health and spirit conscious
lesbian or lesbian couple; centrally located in Oakland Co. Call
810-516-1626 for more details.
306 EMPLOYMENT BUSINESS
Wonderful Opportunity /
Interior Design
Looking for a part-time or full-time
assistant / intern with an interest
in learning the interior design
business. Some job duties include
moving furniture. Apply in Person
with resume Monday and Tuesday
mornings between 10 AM and 12
Noon at 40250 Heys Rd. Clinton
Twp. MI.
LGBT Getaways
Click on the banner for LGBT Getaways at www.LivingIsCruising.
com or call 855-655-1359
1109 EROTICA ADULT PRODUCTS
Detroit’s Hottest Women
If you want Real-Amateur-Female
Adult Material (photos & films).
We are your best and only choice.
For free samples call I.G.P. now at
313-289-2008.
410 PROF. SERVICES
- GENERAL
RON & KEN’S GARAGE
Licensed Master Mechanics
LAWNMOWER/SNOW BLOWER SALES AND SERVICE.
248-477-2922 FARMINGTON
HILLS.
To place a classified ad with us,
visit PRIDESOURCE.COM/classifieds or call us at 888.615.7003x22
Pride Guide
COMING MAY 31, 2012
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Rear View / May 3, 2012 / BTL
www.PrideSource.com
Deep Inside Hollywood
Dolly Parton. Photo: Van Redin
Conservative ‘Butler’:
Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda has spent her entire life working for
liberal causes when she wasn’t busy building a
career as one of our most acclaimed actresses.
And if you’re old enough to remember the era
when she was disparagingly referred to as “Hanoi
Jane,” you’ll know that she wasn’t afraid to court
controversy and right-wing scorn in the process.
Now, in her eighth decade, she’s going to court a
little more by playing Nancy Reagan in gay director
Lee Daniels’ (“Precious”) new film “The Butler.”
A biopic of White House butler Eugene Allen, who
worked for a string of Presidents from 1952 to 1986,
Daniels is currently in talks with Forest Whitaker to
take on the title role. And with an African-American
filmmaker in charge of a production about a black
man in a domestic service position, here’s hoping
the finished product can avoid the kind of negative
press that followed last year’s “The Help.” Of
course, no matter how the movie turns out, Fox
News is going to get a lot of mileage out of it.
Brittany S. Pierce meets
Harmony Korine
Indie filmmaker Harmony Korine is no stranger to
the weird. He’s built an outsider-cool reputation
thanks to his early script for the ’90s drama
“Kids” and his later increasingly bizarre films
“Gummo” (about trailer park Americana), “Mister
Lonely” (about a commune populated by celebrity
impersonators who live each day as their chosen
alter ego) and “Trash Humpers” (about… well,
the title explains it). So what’s next for the daring
director? How about a spring break actioncomedy featuring America’s favorite teenage
lesbian cheerleader? “Glee”’s Heather Morris has
joined the cast of Korine’s “Spring Breakers,” a
head-scratching detour about four college girls
who rob a restaurant to fund their spring break
vacation, only to fall in with a gang of drug and
arms dealers who want them to work full time on
the opposite side of the law. And Morris isn’t the
only stunt-casting move here. Rounding out the
cast is James Franco, Vanessa Hudgens, Selena
Gomez and “Pretty Little Liars” regular Ashley
Benson. Get ready, tweens, Harmony Korine is
coming to corrupt you.
‘Steel Magnolias’: the TV movie
If you never saw the original 1989 film version
of “Steel Magnolias” with Dolly Parton and Julia
Roberts then you’ve got a little catching up to do
on the subjects of Southern idiosyncrasy, female
bonding, the trouble with men, the fragility of
life and the importance of a good hairstyle (it’s
all centered around a beauty salon). A huge hit
and an enduring touchstone of gay culture, it was,
therefore, a no-brainer that Lifetime would want to
get behind a small-screen remake. Even smarter?
Executive producer Queen Latifah (still not an
official lesbian, for the record) has assembled an allblack cast filled with beloved names like Phylicia
Rashad, Jill Scott, Latifah herself and newcomers
33
like lesbian indie film “Pariah”’s breakout star
Adepero Oduye. Talk about crossing demographic
boundaries. This is probably going to call for a girls
night in when it finally hits the airwaves.
Let’s start the boycott of
‘Ender’s Game’ now
Sci-fi author Orson Scott Card hates gays. That’s
the first thing you should know. Like, he “really”
hates gays. Just Google some of the things he’s
said about us. It’s Santorum-level stuff. He
actively fights civil rights laws. He’s on the board
of the anti-gay group, the National Organization
for Marriage. And that’s why it’s more than
a little disconcerting to report that his most
famous novel, “Ender’s Game,” a modern sci-fi
classic, is about to get the big-budget, big screen
treatment from “X-Men Origins: Wolverine”
director Gavin Hood. It will star “Hugo”’s Asa
Butterfield as Ender, Harrison Ford, Viola Davis,
Abigail Breslin, Hailee Steinfeld and Sir Ben
Kingsley. Expect hardcore sci-fi fans to geek
out and look the other way, gay sci-fi fans to feel
conflicted, Card apologists to lecture you on how
to separate the art from the artist and Hollywood
to pretend like they haven’t just bankrolled
Maggie Gallagher a little more. Coming soon to
a multiplex near you.
Romeo San Vicente likes science fiction best when
its creators respect science. He can be reached care
of this publication or at DeepInsideHollywood@
qsyndicate.com.
Rear View / May 3, 2012 / BTL
www.PrideSource.com
Advertiser Index
Shop PrideSource / BTL advertisers
AIDS/HIV Organizations
Carpet Cleaners
Events and Fundraisers
Massage
AIDS Partnership Michigan..... 35
Hagopian Cleaning Services... 14
Rosenberg, David................... 31
Attorneys
Chiropractors
Attorney Pierce...................... 19
Gittleman, Steven.................. 31
Marc Shefman....................... 11
Rasor Law Firm..................... 19
Ferndale Chiropractic Center... 24
Canning Communications...... 16
Dog Wash for Cancer............. 22
Equality Michigan.................. 34
Counseling
Flooring
Museum
Auto/Collision
Autometric Body Shops.......... 24
Auto/Dealer
LaFontaine Hyundai................. 2
Hodges Imported Cars........... 23
Cantrell, Christine, Ph.D.,LLC ... 20
Joe Kort and Associates......... 19
Joseph, Denise Ph.D. ............ 14
Jozwiak, Rosemary,
MA, LPC, CCBT, DVCe ............ 31
Dentists
Williamson, Ron T., DDS........... 3
Education
Bakeries
Avalon International Breads... 21
College for Creative Studies... 15
Banks
Electrical Contractors
Fifth Third Bank .................... 36
Paff - The Electric Company... 11
Bar/clubs/discos
Equipment Rental
aut Bar.................................. 26
Button’s Rent-It...................... 24
Barber Shop
Erotica
Steven B’s Barber Shop......... 22
Blue Moon Video/DVD............ 32
Just 4 Us............................... 25
Modern Floors Carpet One....... 3
Grocers
University Foods.................... 26
Head Shop
3 Doors Down Head Shop...... 32
Heating & Cooling
Air-Master Heating & Cooling... 2
Find more listings – in print or online
Mattresses
http://www.pridesource.com
American Mattress Gallery .... 19
Over 250 non-profits serving
Michigan’s LGBT community
... plus ...
Over 800 businesses who
want to do business with you!
The Detroit Institute of Arts...... 5
Opera company
Michigan Opera Theatre... 18, 21
Pet Services - Veterinarian
Patterson Dog & Cat Hospital... 27
Pharmacy
Religious & Spiritual
Restaurants
Honest John’s........................ 11
The French Laundry/CRUST... 16
Mega Mates.......................... 32
Crown Pharmacy................... 16
Direct Rx................................ 21
MedCart................................ 23
Jewelers
Physicians
Miner’s Den........................... 16
Dr. Paul Benson, D.O.............. 23
Partridge Creek OB Gyn......... 26
Dignity Detroit........................ 31
Divine Peace Metropolitan
Community Church................ 11
Metropolitan Community
Church of Detroit................... 24
Whosoever Ministry............... 31
Real Estate
Research
Bruhn, Marsha....................... 26
Jackson, Sydney.................... 11
Introduction Services
Landscaping/Nurseries
Barson’s Greenhouses........... 20
Green Thumb Garden Center... 22
Rock Shoppe......................... 21
35
Theatres
Fisher Theatre........................ 16
Jewish Ensemble Theatre...... 14
Performance Network............ 27
Purple Rose Theatre Co. ....... 19
Tuxedos
The Tux Shop on Woodward..... 2
Uptown Bookstores................ 33
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